Coco Farm & Winery (Kokoromi Gakuen)
Ashikaga, Japan · Operator: 社会福祉法人こころみ学園 / 有限会社ココ・ファーム・ワイナリー
Overview
Begun in 1958 when a teacher and pupils with special needs cleared a steep hillside in Ashikaga, it led to the founding of Kokoromi Gakuen in 1969. Grapes grown by residents with intellectual disabilities yield Japanese wines served even at international summits.
Citizen participation
Residents with intellectual disabilities at Kokoromi Gakuen take part daily in growing and harvesting grapes and making wine, gaining purpose and a sense of accomplishment through farm work.
Operating model
A welfare corporation rooted in a disability-support facility partners with a winery company, funding operations through production and sale of high-quality Japanese wine.
Impact
Its wines, made by people with disabilities, have been served at international conferences and on airlines, making it a celebrated pioneering model linking welfare with farming and winemaking.
Crops
- wine grapes
Scale
急斜面に開墾したぶどう畑を母体とする。知的障害のある園生と職員がぶどう栽培・ワイン醸造に従事。
Sources（2）
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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