Camphill Communities Ontario (CCO) is an accredited not-for-profit organization that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Simcoe County, Ontario. Their mission, according to Larry Palmer, Executive Director, is to “enrich society by creating meaningful opportunities for persons with an intellectual disability to live, learn and work together.” When the organization was formed in 1978, they did that by operating as a small residential and school setting for 16 children with intellectual disabilities. In the years since, the organization has grown and evolved at a steady pace and now supports approximately 75 individuals and employs over 120 staff. Camphill Foundation Canada was established in 2000 as a public foundation with the purpose of supporting the mission of CCO, largely by providing financial relief where government funding was not available. While the government provides a certain amount of funding for each individual they service, that funding mostly goes towards housing, basic living and staffing . Government funding, however, doesn’t cover all the services and activities that CCO is proud to offer – services they believe foster personal development and social inclusion for the people they support. That list of services is long, according to Kathy Downes, executive director of Camphill Foundation Canada. For example, Camphill has a 300-acre farm in Angus, and on that farm they host a series robust land programs that combine several areas of activity, including animal husbandry, hay and pasture management, forest management, and biodynamic/organic agriculture. “Our land programs provide opportunities for many different recreational and work experiences, MARCH 2025
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