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who we are

About Farming2Freedom

Farming2Freedom is an organization started by Joe and Karen Harford in working partnership with other Huntingdon County support agencies as well as the County Parole Department. This private/public partnership unites executives and program participants through entrepreneurial passion and servant leadership to transform lives, restore families and rebuild communities.

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Farming2Freedom is administered by the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

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This program is fully self-funded.

Joe Harford

Founder

Joe was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He was a first-generation college graduate. Joe spent his career in hospitality, manufacturing, and technology. He completed his Ph.D. at Penn State University. Joe developed his passion for criminal justice reform while completing his doctoral work. He met Karen, they got married, and share a life together that
is truly blessed.

Karen Harford

Founder

Karen was born and raised in Tyrone, Pennsylvania in a farming family. She attended business college and eventually moved away from the area. She developed a very successful sales career. During her time away she found a passion for helping others around her. Karen shares in the blessing and joys of Farming2Freedom with Joe.

Joe Harford

Founder

Joe was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He was a first-generation college graduate. Joe spent his career in hospitality, manufacturing, and technology. He completed his Ph.D. at Penn State University. Joe developed his passion for criminal justice reform while completing his doctoral work. He met Karen, they got married, and share a life together that
is truly blessed.

Karen Harford

Founder

Karen was born and raised in Tyrone, Pennsylvania in a farming family. She attended business college and eventually moved away from the area. She developed a very successful sales career. During her time away she found a passion for helping others around her. Karen shares in the blessing and joys of Farming2Freedom with Joe.

why farming2freedom

Transforming Lives
through Growth

The United States accounts for 4.4% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s incarcerated. The National Prisoner Statistics program reported that 636,000 inmates had been released from prison in 2014. The American Enterprise Institute reported that 30% of all inmates had achieved less than a high school degree, compared with 14% of the general population. In 2017, the Vera Institute examined state spending trends on prisons during the period 2010–2015 and found that the average taxpayer paid $31,286 per inmate. In the same period, Pennsylvania taxpayers spent $42,727 per inmate (Mai & Subramanian, 2017). The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2011) followed 404,638 inmates in 30 states after they reentered the community and found that 67.8% were reincarcerated within three years.

Closer to home, Pennsylvania has 73 jails in 67 counties. The jail population in 2019 was 31,790. As of December 31, 2019, Pennsylvania’s community corrections population was 172,052 under probation and 105,938 under parole*. Huntingdon County has approximately 700 men and women on probation or parole.

*Source: United States, Department of Justice https://nicic.gov/state-statistics/2019/pennsylvania-2019

Our Mission

Our mission is to reduce the recidivism rate of those individuals that are on parole or probation by providing individualized life coaching and education to program participants, resulting in successful community engagement and improved employment outcomes through accountability and positive change.

Our Vision

We seek the opportunity to help transform offenders into contributors.

Our Story

Farming2Freedom was established in 2022 and is administered by the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. This faith-based program is intended to support the rehabilitative and transformative needs of those individuals on probation or parole. The program works to connect Pennsylvania’s top executives, entrepreneurs, and college students with program participants. The entrepreneurship boot camp and re-entry programs are solutions intended to prevent recidivism, maximize self-sufficiency, and transform broken lives.

What we Do

Our Primary

Cause

Farming2Freedom’s main focus is reducing the recidivism rate in the US. We do this through a faith-based program intended to support the rehabilitative and transformative needs of those individuals on probation or parole.

The Transformation Academy

Selected participants will meet once a week at a centrally located county facility. Program participants begin the program and their journey with a 3-month, character development program, known as The Transformation Academy. The Transformation Academy utilizes the ELI Curriculum.

Twelve Essential Beliefs

All participants are expected to accept, practice, and embrace F2F’s Twelve Essential Beliefs: Accountability, Discipline, Empathy, Giving of Oneself, Independence, Mindfulness, Neighborly, Resilience, Servant-Leader Mindset, Zealous Advocacy, Justice, and Being Kind.

Resources

Farming2Freedom

Join our mission. Volunteer, Donate, Advocate. Get Started Today.

Unless otherwise advised, CPCF will notify Farming2Freedom of your donation and the amount.

Unless otherwise advised, CPCF will notify Farming2Freedom of your donation and the amount.