Olivia St. Clair's role at Pleasant View Communities is not one that typically comes to mind when thinking of the retirement industry.

Since September of last year, St. Clair has served as farm manager of Hoffer Farm, the on-site small-scale farm in Manheim that is home to a few alpacas, goats, sheep and chickens as well as a robust hydroponics growing system that yields a wide variety of vegetables.

St. Clair, who grew up in Harrisburg and graduated from Penn State with a degree in plant sciences, brings with her extensive experience in farming.

She worked at a farmers market and orchard in high school, but discovered her passion for agriculture in college, where she became a proponent of local, sustainable food and educating others about how to grow it themselves.

"You can explain the feeling to someone, but it's unmatched to see the joy on someone's face whenever they plant a seed and then get to be rewarded by the plant whenever it produces the fruit, flower or vegetable," she said. "It's a one-of-a-kind and special feeling."

She was drawn to the role at Pleasant View - the first of its kind at the site - for many reasons. It will allow her to teach others while also learning from the people she works alongside.

"I am most excited to start growing things and getting an actively producing farm up and running!" she said. "There are so many opportunities to establish educational opportunities and get people involved, so I'm excited to see how I can impact the lives in the community. ... There is so much potential for this space, and I feel so honored to be allowed to steward the land."

She also enjoys being a part of an industry that's small but important.

"Farmers make up less than 3% of the working world, so it means so much more as a young woman farmer to have a hand in creating something powerful that will serve the community," she stated.

She knows the role also presents a few challenges, included getting the farm fully operational.

"Navigating the funding and financial support as well as regulations will be the visible obstacles that we will be encountering and trying to overcome," she said, adding that she has a team of dedicated people helping her achieve her goals for the farm. "We have a master plan that we are chipping away at, but we have some preliminary plans that are in the works right now."

Those plans include building three high tunnels that will allow seedling growth and provide a season and production extension, as well as developing high-density orchards and educational gardens.

In the time she's been on-site, St. Clair has taken an active role in Pleasant View's hydroponics program, and she's working toward launching a variety of initiatives, including mobile garden carts and hydroponic towers for residents in personal care and skilled nursing, growing additional crops for local food banks and increasing opportunities for residents to interact with the farm animals.

She's also working closely with students from Manheim Central High School's life skills class, as well as students in agriculture classes.

"We love Manheim Central, and we are so appreciative of our partnership with the school," she commented, noting that the students are using some of the land at Pleasant View to grow popcorn. "They will grow it and then harvest it in the fall and use the product as a fundraiser."

Plans are also in the works to create a program for students to raise lambs born at the farm and then show them at the Manheim Farm Show.

"The life skills students are an important part of the animal program as well," St. Clair said. "They will come out and walk the animals with our resident volunteers, and you can feel the peace and joy radiating from everyone involved. It helps to reaffirm the purpose of our programs here."

Hoffer Farm is truly an intergenerational project, with Pleasant View residents joining in the farm's efforts.

"I have learned so much in the short time that I have been here, and I owe it to the residents," St. Clair remarked. "They are truly the heart and soul of the farm programs here, and they have fostered the project to this point, so I value their input and support through and through."

Hoffer Farm offers a welcoming space where anyone, regardless of experience, can learn, teach and engage in agriculture, empowering them to serve the community and leave feeling inspired, an ongoing goal as the farm continues to grow, St. Clair said.

Currently, Hoffer Farm events are open only to residents and staff, but visitors can visit the walking path and see the animals and land.

St. Clair hopes to have programs open to the public in the future, adding, "Everyone in the community here at PV and Manheim are at the top of our minds whenever we are planning things, so it'll just be a fun and neat place to learn and discover something they might not have known or had access to before."

For more information on Hoffer Farm, follow Pleasant View Communities on social media. A farm website will launch later this summer.