Peachtree Farm broke ground on homes designed for adults with disabilities, marking the start of construction on a project the nonprofit has been building toward for years inside a suburban Atlanta tech park. The homes are part of a larger 15-home independent living project meant to eventually house dozens of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, Joe Twiner, Peachtree Farm's executive director, oversees an organization that also offers vocational training for disabled individuals aging out of the resources their school systems once provided. The groundbreaking marks the start of construction on the farm's residential units for adults with disabilities.
A Family Mission Rooted in a Service Gap
A Family Mission Rooted in a Service Gap Peachtree Farm traces its origins to 2017, when founders Mike and Mary Twiner first discussed post-graduation employment and housing options for their daughter, Mary Quinn, who has verbal apraxia and received special education, according to the organization's own account on its website, peachtreefarm.org. The organization was founded in 2021. The full master development plan calls for 15 accessible independent living homes capable of housing 45 adults with disabilities.
The farm occupies a wooded four-acre property planned to include accessible housing.
Vocational Training Alongside Local Students
Vocational Training Alongside Local Students Beyond housing, the farm employed nine farmers, and high school students participated in vocational training there. In 2022, the farm's agricultural operation included tomato seedlings, raised beds and nine chickens, with beehives expected to be added that spring.
Twiner earned a theology graduate degree from Boston College, and he has said he drew inspiration for the farm from the Catholic Worker movement and Pope Francis' environmental encyclical, according to the Georgia Bulletin. In 2022, the farm also operated a farm stand, offering a place to sell produce to local residents.
Why the Housing Push Matters
Why the Housing Push Matters The push for supportive housing comes amid economic disparities affecting disabled adults.
In Georgia specifically, the 2019 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium, using 2018 American Community Survey data, found that working-age residents with disabilities earn an average of $3,249 less per year than non-disabled peers, according to APSE. That gap underscores the demand behind Peachtree Farm's plan to eventually house 45 adults on-site, though the construction timeline for the remaining 12 homes has not been detailed.
