Employee Spotlight: Carrie Walters Farm Materials Operations Manager

Home – and The Farm – Is Where the Heart Is

When it comes to having a dedicated and reliable head of household, we look no further than
Carrie Walters, our Farm MOM (Material Operations Manager). Carrie joined The Production
Farm part-time in November 2018 and transitioned to full-time a couple years later in October
2020. She has the distinction of being the current employee at The Farm with the longest
tenure. “Clients know from experience they can count on me to have their needs met and also
being a familiar face for them is calming,” Carrie says.

​So, what does being Farm MOM entail? In short, Carrie does a million different things that help
keep the place running smoothly. She takes care of tangible tasks such as laundry and shopping
for groceries and program supplies. During the school year, she also is in charge of making a
nightly family-style supper.

First and foremost, at the heart of all these duties, is approaching them as skill development
opportunities with clients. “In everything I do, the biggest challenge is to provide the best care
possible when you are unsure what the client is needing,” Carrie says, adding that the rewards
far outweigh any uncertainties or obstacles. “I feel the biggest impact I have with clients is
when they search for me to tell me about a positive experience. It shows me that they know I
truly care about and what to hear about their lives. And, of course, I love to hear from parents
who feel I have made a positive impact on their children.”
​
Born and raised in Manitowoc, not far from The Farm itself, Carrie still lives in the house in
which she raised her three daughters, just three blocks from the house she grew up in. She
stayed in the area for school, as well, and attended Silver Lake College. Carrie loves to spend
time with her family and often travels to California to visit one her daughters there – but has
Europe on her vacation destination bucket list. She loves to cook and bake and isn’t picky about
genre when it comes to chilling out with a good movie.