Local non-profit where plants and adults with developmental disabilities bloom and flourish
Smile Farms has 14 campuses in the area that employ people with disabilities and grow beautiful plants and produce for the community.
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Smile Farms grows beautiful hanging baskets, annuals, fruits, and vegetables and unusual houseplants at its 14 campuses in the tri-state, but the true fruits of the labor come from the personal growth that happens here.
Simple Farms is a mission-driven non-profit transforming how adults with developmental disabilities are seen, engaged and employed in our communities. Founded in 2015, the nonprofit creates meaningful work and training opportunities through a network of agricultural campuses where people of all abilities cultivate flowers, herbs and produce (all while gaining pride, purpose and job skills along the way).
Many adults with developmental disabilities age out of traditional services around age 21. Smile Farms steps in to fill the gap by offering real employment pathways, with a structure that encourages personal and professional growth.
Career Opportunities
Smile Farms brings opportunities to adults who may have a more difficult time starting a career. Steve McDermott, the Managing Director of Smile Farms, tells us there’s about an “80% unemployment rate” for people with developmental disabilities. It’s a gap Smile Farms works tirelessly to narrow.
Through hands-on roles in farming, greenhouse cultivation and community markets, employees, known as Smile Farmers, learn teamwork, collaboration and self-advocacy. These skills translate to jobs beyond the farm.
“I have so many examples of smile farmers that have grown as people and human beings here,” explains Isabel Londono, the program director at Smile Farms.
Farmers take on other roles in their community, like local grocery stores, and some have made careers at Smile Farms. David was the Smile Farmer of the Year in 2025 and has achieved personal success on the farm. He and his girlfriend Tanisha met on the farm and have been dating for nearly seven years.
A Partner in the Community
Smile Farms operates 14 campuses across Long Island and New York City in partnership with nonprofits, schools, hospital programs and residential service agencies. The sale of plants, flowers and produce helps sustain programming and support workers.
At each campus, Smile Farmers tend gardens, greenhouses and raised beds. Here they produce blooms, vegetables, and herbs. These are sold locally, used in partner kitchens, and are donated to other non-profits that serve people with food insecurities.
How to Support Smile Farms
You can shop for plants and produce grown by Smile Farmers, make a tax-deductible donation to help expand programming or partner with the organization to create new campus locations and employment opportunities. For more information about Smile Farms as a whole, visit their website.
The location we visited for this story, on 1 Montauk Highway in Moriches, is open throughout the year (hours vary by season). You can visit the Smile Farms at IGHL in Moriches website for more details.
