By Wendi Reardon Price
Staff Writer
wprice@mihomepaper.com
INDEPENDENCE TWP. — Clarkston Family Farm just wrapped a successful end to their most recent project for 2025 – 12 weeks of helping local families with the Blessing Baskets Project.
“This has been one of our best projects we’ve been able to create,” said Clarkston Family Farm Executive Director Chelsea O’Brien. “I was just so pleased with how it turned out. I loved giving away so many baskets in December around Christmas but being able to connect with and to support over time in a meaningful way to 22 families it’s just a different level. It’s a 1,000 times better.”
O’Brien shared the differences between the Holiday Harvest Baskets and the Blessing Baskets was scale and the scope as they were able to feed 22 families for the 12 weeks.
She added they had 22 sponsored families for the Blessing Baskets and 30 families who paid for their own CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription for a basket.
“The families are indistinguishable from one another,” she said. “Nobody knew who was a blessing basket family and who was a family that just purchased the CSA membership. Everybody’s been getting to know each other and sharing recipes on their own experiences on how to make beautiful healthy meals for their families.”

O’Brien shared they worked with Title One schools Clarkston Area Youth Assistance, area schools and churches to create a list of families who were interested and were in need while local businesses and nonprofit organizations sponsored the project.
“One of the really beautiful things that have come out of the project is the relationships we were able to develop with all of these families,” O’Brien said. “It’s really been a great way to just bring families that are most vulnerable and needed real health and support in a meaningful way. I’m hoping and I believe it uplifted these families not just for a day or a couple weeks, but maybe for years to come.”
Along with the baskets, Clarkston Family Farm hosted Chelsea’s Cooking Corner every Wednesday with a live feed on Facebook.
“It almost feels like a party every Wednesday because you have your 50 families come in,” O’Brien said. “Not only are we giving away all this wonderful beautiful food, but we’re teaching our community how to use that food. During our cooking corner we have a meal or dish we’ll prepared. Anybody could participate because it’s live so a lot of people will call in questions. You can have an open dialogue. I love it.”
She added they have had special guests such as Devon Fuller from the Fuller Family Farm and Claire and Jimmy Pepera who grew up on the farm for the last cooking corner.
“Our guest chefs have been so cool,” she said “These are people in the community that you would know. Devon Fuller from Fuller Family Farm. He raises chickens right here off Ortonville Road. They are a family of six, and they grow most of their own food. It’s so fun. I’m learning each week along with everyone because there’s just so much knowledge in this community.”
She added Neiman’s Family Market partnered with them in many ways including with groceries they needed for each of the cooking corners.
“It’s a great way for us to keep it going for them,” said Ryan Pizzo, store director. “We supply what they don’t have available on the farm. It’s a great way for us to support them.”
“It’s really been even more successful than I was hoping it was going to be,” O’Brien said. “I’m so glad it worked out the way it did. I’m really building friendships and connections.”
She added through making the connections she found out for many families in Clarkston, Independence Township as well as Oakland County, Clarkston Family Farm is a third space.
“You have your work space, you have your home space and then you have a third space you like to go to that feels safe and feels welcoming,” O’Brien said. “You feel better when you’re there. Our farm has really become a third space for many families. It’s been really gratifying for me to see families discover the farm can be a third space for them. Many of those families have never even been to our farm before, but their kids have for a field trip.”
For more information or to check out upcoming events at Clarkston Family Farm, please visit them on Facebook or visit https://clarkstonfamilyfarm.com.

  Clarkston Family Farm