by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
It’s 4:30 a.m. and the crow of a rooster can be heard in the distance. Dozens of little feet are shuffling out of bed, ready to start a day of manual labor on the farm. This scenario is a sampling of what unruly children can expect when they spend their weekend on The Family Farm, a new organization for children with behavioral problems.
Designed to take a proactive approach, the Family Farm accepts children before they are kicked out of school or placed under the supervision of a truant officer.
“It’s before they are arrested or sent to juvenile detention,” said Matthew Posgay, an attorney with Kubicki Draper and a Family Farm board member. “It’s a way to wake them up and help the whole family. The kids will learn that they have to work hard to be successful in life.”
Located near the rolling hills of Bryceville, the 160-acre farm was donated by Barry Barco of Barco Duval Engineering and his family specifically for the new program. The site plan calls for dormitories for boys, girls and parents, an outdoor pavilion, kitchen facilities, barns, stables and fishing ponds. The permitting process is complete and tradesman have been recruited to install electrical components, heating and air conditioning systems and hang drywall. Fundraising is already going on to defray construction costs. Roughly $500,000 of in-kind gifts have been raised so far.
Barco is just one of many who have committed themselves to serving the farm’s mission. Attorney W.C. Gentry has joined with School Board members, law enforcement officers, clergy, educators, church groups, real estate developers and environmental companies to pledge support for the cause. Family Farm organizers have also enlisted the aid State Sen. Steve Wise, State Rep. Aaron Bean, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, Nassau County Sheriff Ray Geiger, Baker County Sheriff Jay Dobson and judges Waddell Wallace, Brian Davis and David Gooding. Most will act as consultants and advisors to the board of directors.
“They’re just people who care about children and families,” said Posgay. “We want to make the community a better place.”
Family Farm’s founder and president, Glenn Ellison, once played for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders in the early 1970s. Now he’s trying to mold the lives of young people. Having previously taken part in the Juvenile Justice Coalition, his vision crystallized five years ago when he mentored youth at Camp Tracy in Taylor, Fla.
“The founder [of the camp] said to me, ‘We have a good farm for kids but I need one for parents,’” recalled Ellison. “I can fix kids but if the parents don’t know what to do with them when we send them them home, nothing is accomplished.”
Ellison decided to start his own farm with parental participation. Here’s how it works: a parent wishing to enroll his or her child must volunteer for a weekend prior to the child attending the farm to understand the experience. After the child returns from the farm, the voluntary program continues with the parent obligated to complete a series of courses in their community. Parents who physically abuse their children are turned over to the authorities.
“It’s a 10-week parenting class to give them the tools necessary to recognize when a kid is heading down the wrong path — if they’re involved in drugs or hang out with gangs,” said Ellison. “We use a course called Parent Project out of California. Over 100,000 have gone through the program successfully in the past 15 years. When they leave the program, they will have a game plan and contracts in hand to hold those children accountable for their actions.”
For the children, the weekend consists of all the chores typical of a working farm: mowing fields, feeding animals, mending fences, repairing tractors, splitting fence logs, chopping firewood and other duties needed to maintain the place. Throughout the short time frame, children will be faced with the decision of whether or not to be obedient. Posgay provided an example.
“If they do their chores they will have a much better breakfast and their tasks in the afternoon may not be as bad,” he said.
“We firmly believe that the average child nowadays takes everything for granted,” added Ellison. “The farm environment shows children is they don’t take care of the equipment and livestock, they can’t survive. We help them understand that if they don’t plant crops, they won’t eat and if they don’t milk cows, they’ll have nothing to drink.”
Three basic principles underscore the farm’s faith-based philosophy: belief in the Bible, strict discipline and hard work. After the children have been released from the farm, the organization tracks their progress for nine weeks through the school system. Boys and girls of all ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic status, ages 10 to 17, are permitted to take part. The cost to the parent is $150. Special emphasis is placed on those children ages 10 to 14.
“Middle schools kids are our target because they’re not old enough or mean enough to get caught up in the juvenile justice program,” said Ellison who plans to run a tight ship.
For example, rousing problem children from their slumber before it’s even light outside is not difficult for Ellison. When each child goes to bed at night, a five-gallon bucket of ice water is placed at the foot of their bed. If they’re not up and running by 4:31 a.m., they get a chilly bath.
“You do it one time and that’s all it takes,” said Ellison. “It’s not boot camp screaming and yelling. It’s showing them there’s a much tougher life than they have at home.”