Horse and buggy recycling pickup a community project

A teaching farm in Trois-Pistoles, Que., has a unique mandate: Giving jobs to people with disabilities and conditions that would otherwise prevent them from participating in the work force.

They are using horses from the farm, and a special buggy they built, to pick up recycling in town two mornings a week.

On top of the recycling project, the men and women at Fermecoledes Basques peopleaged 16 to 70 are taught how togrow food, care for animalsand performother farm tasks. They also learn woodworking and metalworking on the farm located about 250 kilometres east of Quebec City.

Government programs including EmploiQubec pay at least part of the student-workers' salariesfor a year while they work on the farm.

The program is run byfarmer, Gatan Belzileon the property he and his wifeCarol Anne Weickown.

"There are some people thatwill never be on the job market in the productive way that society wants these days," says Weick. "There has to be something out there to make them feel like they are somebody, to give them self-esteem, to give them a maximum of autonomy."

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Breakaway12:31Horse-powered recycling pick-up in Trois-Pistoles

A horse-drawn buggy is picking up recycling in Trois-Pistoles. Marika Wheeler tells us how the project came about and how it's being received in the community.