SMILE FARMS FEATURED STORIES
New Garden Opens at Mercy
June 20, 2024
Rockville Centre Herald Front Page Article - Smile Farms and Catholic Health expand partnership.
Smile Farms, Catholic Health open second cooperative garden
June 20, 2024
Following the success of the cooperative garden at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic in Garden City, the healthcare system has expanded its partnership with Smile Farms to create a larger cooperative garden at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.
Smile Farms opens newest campus in partnership with Catholic Health - Featured - The Island 360
May 2, 2023
Smile Farms unveiled its 12th campus Tuesday morning, located at Catholic Health’s Mercy Behavioral Health Center in Garden City.
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Diana Martin of Smile Farms Is Helping To Change Our World
April 18, 2023
Diana Martin is the Managing Director of Smile Farms, a New York based non-profit dedicated to creating opportunities in agriculture and hospitality for people with disabilities started in 2015.
A Growing Partnership: Smile Farms and Bungalow Bar
Something new is being “planted” with care and growing in Rockaway. Bungalow Bar and the non-profit Smile Farms Inc. are working to create new opportunities for people with disabilities.
Finding Meaningful Employment for Those with Disabilities
It’s often said that the first step to change is awareness. The statement is true for people and the broader community: If you want to improve a situation, you need to know about the problem to fix it.
How Smile Farms Is Growing New Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities
This story explores how Smile Farms is finding job opportunities for people with disabilities at restaurants.
An Inspiring Story of Rebuilding with John Gargano
Faced with what he thought to be a life-ending diagnosis, John gave up and fell into an addiction which led to a prison sentence, during which John built himself back up from scratch. He was eventually released under President Obama’s clemency program, but John’s story doesn’t end there.
Creating Meaningful Work Opportunities for All
Celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month with inspiring organizations, John's Crazy Socks and Smile Farms, and learn about their accomplishments on this week's episode
Smile Farms Helps Create a Sense of Purpose for Adults with Disabilities
October 1, 2022
1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. catches up with Diana Martin, Managing Director of Smile Farms, to discuss National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the impact of this nonprofit’s programs, how companies and individuals can be better allies to this unique community, and more.
Boxers put up their dukes and the winners are area charities
September 14, 2022
Smile Farms Advisory Board member, Dawn Strain fights to raise funds.
Plants, Purpose and a Paycheck: Smile Farms Gives Disabled Adults a Chance to Grow Their Skills [VIDEO]
July 24, 2022
Smile Farms is featured in a comprehensive 5-page cover story in Newsday’s LI Life Sunday paper. Follow along from our humble beginnings to today’s successes, with heart-warming Farmer testimonials along the way.
Tap Room, Smile Farms partner in produce pilot
June 24, 2022
Upstream Hospitality’s Tap Room is procuring produce planted, grown and harvested by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who work in an onsite jobs program at Smile Farms at IGHL in Center Moriches.
Jericho Nonprofit Smile Farms Debuts Heat with Heart Hot Sauce
June 7, 2022
Smile Farms introduces two hot sauces created from 2,206 pounds of hot and sweet peppers grown and harvested by people with different abilities – with 100% of the proceeds funding jobs and training for their Farmers.
Bringing the Heat: At Smile Farms, Hot Sauce Comes With a Kick and a Purpose
This year, all seven Smile Farms partners are planting peppers on their campuses, which means 10 gardens growing about 2,500 pounds of peppers, if the garden gods smile. That should make 6,000 bottles of the hot stuff.
Gifts That Keep on Giving: Favorites from the Smile Farms BIRTHYAY! Collection
20% of the net proceeds from each gift purchased from these specially curated birthday items will be donated to Smile Farms.
Planting the Seeds: The Story of Smile Farms
Take a look at Smile Farms, a non-profit that helps adults with developmental disabilities gain life skills through horticultural activities.
Jim McCann- A Cause Close to The Family’s Heart
May 3, 2022
Jim McCann, Founder and Chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. featured in UBS ‘Stories of Change’ interview series and business release. Making positive change via philanthropy work at Smile Farms Inc.
Smile Farms Launches ‘Heat with Heart™’ Hot Sauce Initiative
May 2022
Smile Farms launched its first ever Heat with Heart™ hot sauce and was featured in Natural Awakenings NYC and Long Island May 2022 issue. We are excited to share that 100% of the proceeds from hot sauce sales will fund jobs and training for individuals with disabilities.
Smile Farms Growing Food And Opportunity For Some Who Often Have Trouble Finding Work
September 29, 2021
Smile Farms’ 10th campus at Nassau BOCES boasts crops grown by special needs students which are then supplied to food pantries, senior centers and group homes.
July 31, 2019
In a night celebrating individuals with special needs, the New York Mets invited the Family Residences and Essential Enterprises...
July 15, 2019
Watch Smile Farms at Skills Unlimited, Inc. on the FIOS1 Long Island News!
July 15, 2019
Smile Farms Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to employing adults with developmental disabilities, opened a new location in Oakdale...
July 12, 2019
For residents of some communities on Long Island, getting to grocery stores and markets that sell fresh produce is half the battle of staying healthy...
June 5, 2019
Long Islanders can “build better businesses by building better communities,” George Tsunis said. That way, “we can all rise together”...
December 31, 2018
As 2018 comes to a close, we reflect on the progress we have made together, and we are so grateful for your continued support of Smile Farms...
December 27, 2018
It was with great interest that I read today's The New York Times opinion piece by Ted Kennedy, Jr. exploring the many ways in which hiring people with disabilities is good for business. I've long been an advocate...
December 19, 2018
Each year, Alexandria Real Estate (ARE) selects a worthy non-profit to benefit from its Annual Chips for Charity Holiday Party. Smile Farms was honored to be chosen as their 2018 recipient...
November 28, 2018
Everyone’s favorite flower and lifestyle gift brand recently introduced a special collection of eight holiday gifts to benefit Smile Farms...
June 22, 2018
In celebration of opening their 7th location, Smile's Farm hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at it's new campus and in partnership with Independent Group Home Living, Inc. (IGHL)...
May 1, 2018
Advocates are giving Long Islanders a reason to smile this spring, as they grow their nonprofit, Smile Farms, which gives agricultural jobs to people with special needs in their communities...
April 30, 2018
Twelve developmentally disabled adults and counting are diving into agricultural work at the newest location of Smile Farms in Yaphank...
April 4, 2018
A farm on Long Island is giving adults with developmental disabilities a chance to contribute to their community. Jim McCann, the founder of 1-800-FLOWERS, started Smile Farms three years ago to provide...
October 6, 2017
A growing number of companies on Long Island are incorporating social responsibility into their business models to boost their reputation, engage employees and attract customers...
June 20, 2017
There are few things in life as awarding as being a part of a worthy cause...
May 26, 2017
Nearly three dozen greenhouse workers have developmental disabilities at Smile Farms at IGHL. Jim McCann, the founder of 1-800-Flowers, says...
May 17, 2017
Spring is in full swing at Hicks Nurseries in Westbury, Long Island. This past March, Hicks hosted their 27th Annual Flower and Garden Show as a charity event for a great cause...
May 5, 2017
During Hicks Nurseries' Spring Flower & Garden Show, Smile Farms announced a new partnership with The Viscardi Center...
April 24, 2017
Getting involved with your local Gardening Organization is a great way to contribute to community well-being. The psychological and socio-economic benefits of gardening...
January 6, 2017
When good people do really good things, something wonderful happens. That's what is happening at Smile Farms. They are the folks dedicated to providing work opportunities...
December 19, 2016
More than 45 guests gathered in Tribeca, New York recently to join Smile Farms, Inc. the non-profit organization founded by the McCann family of 1-800-Flowers.com, for an evening of...
August 30, 2016
Among them are organizations like Smile Farms in Garden City, New York. They put people with disabilities to work in local agriculture, doing everything from farming to sales...
January 6, 2016
A very heart warming and informative message exposing his listeners to the Smile Farm’s mission of providing disabled adults with meaningful job opportunities...
December 23, 2015
On a bright morning in September a crowd gathered at a greenhouse/farm on an arid stretch of Montauk Highway to cut the ribbon on the first Smile Farm, a farm whose employees are among the 20 percent of adults with developmental disabilities in this...
November 27, 2015
Numbers can speak volumes. They can bring people together or tear them apart, as we’ve repeatedly been reminded. As a result, everyone seems to have a place and a role in the building...
November 4, 2015
MORICHES, N.Y. (WABC) --The motto here is they're not just growing plants, they're growing people. It's called Smile Farms in Moriches on Long Island. It's staffed entirely by adults with...
November 2, 2015
Most of us haven't. Some employers have an implicit assumption that people with those disabilities can't work. But those same employers...
October 23-25, 2015
Verizon Fios1 aired an episode that featured the Smile Farms ribbon cutting that took place on Friday, September 18, 2015...
October 16, 2015
Smile Farms is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the unemployed—and often forgotten— developmentally disabled neighbors in our communities across the country...
October 15, 2015
Smile Farms is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the unemployed--and often forgotten-- developmentally disabled neighbors in our communities across the country. The organization, which is a part of 1-800-Flowers, is focused on...
October 2015
HoopLaHa produced a video on our launch, that was picked up by AOL...
October 2015
Networking Magazine ran a spread on our launch in their most recent print edition...
September 21, 2015
On Friday, September 18, 2015, Smile Farms officially "bloomed" on Long Island with a ribbon cutting ceremony and farm tours. Smile Farms, a new Long Island based nonprofit that provides job opportunities for...
September 19, 2015
Ann Liguori interviews Jim McCann about our ribbon cutting and fundraiser...
September 18, 2015
Photo gallery of the ribbon cutting...
September 17, 2015
Jim Douglas interviews Jim McCann about our ribbon cutting and fundraiser...
June 11, 2015
1-800-Flowers.com Inc. founder Jim McCann spoke publicly for the first time Thursday about his personal philanthropic efforts with a new nonprofit that employs 35 developmentally disabled adults at...