Workstations

Workdays

The rhythm of weekdays revolves around cooperative, therapeutic workstations that include a bakery, community kitchen, farm, vegetable garden, herb garden, weavery, woodshop, freeschool and art studio. Coworkers and their caregivers work side-by-side in workstations, producing many creative, useful items.

Crafts from Innisfree’s weavery and woodshop are sold in select area stores, at craft fairs, and straight from the workstations if visitors desire. Granola from Innisfree’s bakery is sold at local gourmet stores, and bread from the bakery is enjoyed at Innisfree community meals and in Innisfree houses. Organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers from Innisfree’s gardens are used at Innisfree gatherings and residential houses and are sold through a community-supported agriculture project called Innisfree Community Gardens. Innisfree also participates in the Crozet, VA farmer’s market.

A typical workstation day

Workstations typically function in 3 different shifts of time called “periods” each day. The first period is from 9-10:30, second period is from 10:30-12:30pm and third period is from 1:30-3pm. Tasks in the workstation vary on individual ability, season, and community needs. Examples of possible tasks are chopping vegetables in the kitchen or harvesting herbs in the herb garden for the day’s lunch, oiling a cutting board for an upcoming craft fair, washing carrots for vegetable shares, weaving placemats for a special customer or working on strength training up at the gym. Workstation heads and volunteers work hard to match the abilities of each person in the workstation and try to make sure everyone feels helpful, productive, and supported.