Reimagining our Recreation Center
Updating the space to support all needs in partnership with the Joy Collaborative
With incredible support from the team at Joy Collaborative, we’ll be renovating our indoor recreation space to enhance comfort, accessibility, and usability for all our guests. Planned upgrades include acoustic treatment, space reconfiguration, new supply storage, and welcoming imagery, ensuring our spaces feel supportive, calming, and inclusive.
This project is a partnership between the farm, Joy Collaborative, generous donors, skilled tradespeople, and committed community partners. Together, we are creating an environment that is both visually beautiful and intentionally designed to meet the sensory, safety, and accessibility needs of our beloved community.
About the Recreation Center Update
Timeline
🔒 Starting Friday, July 10:
Fully Closed indoors for renovations.
🌳 Outdoor Grounds:
Remain Open! Our outdoor spaces will be available throughout the entire project.
🚻 Restrooms:
A wheelchair-accessible porta-potty will be the primary restroom starting July 13.
Current Space
After many years of use, the recreation center is ready for updates to ensure it remains a comfortable, welcoming space for our community. Today, it functions as one large, multi-purpose area supporting activities like air hockey, basketball, reading, crafting, and eating. While that flexibility is valuable, it can also make it difficult to meet the needs of all users at once.
With concrete floors, high ceilings, and an open layout, sound carries easily throughout the space. For many visitors, this creates barriers to engaging in ways that feel comfortable and accessible. We’re excited for the opportunity to preserve what makes this space & this community so meaningful, while adding thoughtful improvements that help more people walk through the doors and feel, “this space was made for me.”
The Vision
A key focus of this renovation is segmenting our recreation center into purposeful zones that support a wider range of interests and activities. This will allow us to better accommodate different needs at the same time, creating a more functional, flexible environment for individuals who benefit from predictability, choice, and sensory balance.
Joy Collaborative is coordinating with Minnesota's chapter of ASID designers & vendors to address:
Acoustic upgrades to reduce echo and overwhelm
Improved lighting and sensory-friendly visual elements
Fresh paint and updated finishes
Enhanced storage and organization for programming supplies
Space reconfiguration to support multiple activity areas and interests
Adaptive features that improve comfort and accessibility
How Our Community Can Support
We’re seeking support in the following areas:
Your Time: Want to volunteer to support the construction of this project? Please let us know!
Your Skill/Trade: In particular, we are seeking support with framing & drywall!
Materials: We are working to source as many materials from community partners as possible. Lumber, furniture, shades and more. Check out our wishlist below to learn more.
Your Patience: We are grateful for the patience as we work to bring this to life!
Materials Wishlist
Below, we’ve included examples of the types of materials we are sourcing. As a nonprofit, we are highly flexible on finishings and would deeply appreciate any leads, recommendations, or introductions to businesses that might want to help us get this project across the finish line!