Greenhouse in South Bend to provide jobs for teens with autism

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (FOX28) --  Construction for the Green Bridge Growers' greenhouse expansion began today, and many local volunteers helped lend a hand. 

 

The expansion is possible thanks to a grant from the Home Depot's Foundation. Construction of the  2100 square foot vertical commercial greenhouse at their new site in Mishawaka, will hire five new employees and grow 30,000 pounds of produce annually.

 

Jan Pilarski, Co-Founder of Green Bridge Grower's, tells FOX28 that many people with autism experience challenges in the work force. "What we've done is to create business models so that it really uses the assets of people with autism to our advantage, giving all the work of growing, the precision, the monitoring-- those are great things people with autism do well," says Pilarski. 

 

Green Bridge Growers has operated a prototype aquaponics greenhouse for the past two years on the grounds of Hannah and Friends.  Committed to the mission of growing local food and growing jobs for young adults with autism, Green Bridge Growers received the McCloskey Award for Greatest Social Impact at the ND Business Plan competition in 2013. For more details visit www.greenbridgegrowers.org