For 50 years, Peckham has demonstrated a simple but powerful belief: when barriers to employment are removed, people and communities thrive.
Since 1976, that belief has shaped an organization dedicated to creating meaningful employment and career opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Over five decades, Peckham has continually sought new industries where people can develop skills, build careers, and experience the independence and purpose that come with meaningful work.
That journey has taken Peckham from manufacturing and custodial services to supply chain and fulfillment, contact center solutions, and, most recently, agriculture.
In 2025, Peckham expanded its agricultural presence through the acquisition of Revolution Farms, a 35-acre hydroponic indoor lettuce farm in Caledonia, Michigan. Combined with Peckham’s existing Lansing farming operation, Revolution Farms by Peckham represents an important new chapter in the organization’s mission: bringing disability inclusion and workforce development to one of Michigan’s most important industries.
Today, Revolution Farms operates more than 231,000 square feet of growing space across two Michigan locations, producing lettuce and salad greens, strawberries, tomatoes, herbs, flowers, and other fresh produce. Its Caledonia operation alone produces over 1 million pounds of lettuce and salad greens annually.
But what Revolution Farms grows extends far beyond produce.
Approximately 30 team members, along with student workers, are gaining hands-on experience and building skills through modern, accessible agriculture. Their work also contributes to Michigan’s agricultural economy, bringing locally grown produce to consumers through retailers including Meijer and other Michigan grocers.
As National Disability Employment Awareness Month is recognized this October, that work offers a timely example of how expanding access to employment can create new opportunities for people with disabilities while strengthening local industries and communities.
The evolution of the various lines of business reflects a pattern woven throughout Peckham’s history—and one that continues to guide the organization today.
“The industries have changed, technologies have advanced, and the organization has grown, but the mission has remained constant: identify where opportunity exists, remove barriers that prevent access, and create environments where individuals of all abilities can contribute and succeed,” says Harry Pianko, Peckham’s CEO.
As Peckham celebrates 50 Years of the power of work, Revolution Farms provides a glimpse of what the next 50 years can look like.
In agriculture, Peckham is expanding the definition of who can participate while demonstrating that innovation and inclusion can grow together.
For five decades, Peckham has planted seeds of opportunity. Today, some of them are quite literally taking root.
