PLENTY Spring 2020 Plenty Spring 2020-WEB | Page 15

Madison Fields
Wo r k i n g a n d G r ow i n g To g e t h e r
D
riving up the gravel driveway of Madison
Fields, you will surely be struck by the beauty
of its rolling hills, expansive fields, forests
and wildlife, which are all protected by the
Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve. You’ll likely
hear resounding laughter echoing up from the lower
farm all the way to the equestrian center, and maybe
an occasional whinny from an excited horse. This
remarkable 400-acre farm is home to an inclusive
agricultural resource center where people of all ages
and abilities are welcomed.
Madison Fields is a project of Madison House
Autism Foundation (MHAF), founded by JaLynn and
Gregory Prince in 2007. It focuses on lifespan issues
facing adults with autism principally through aware-
ness, housing and employment on a national and local
basis. The Prince family formed the foundation just
as their autistic son Madison was approaching adult-
hood. The age of 21 is known as the “services cliff” for
adults with autism and other intellectual or develop-
mental disabilities; this means that federally mandated
services that provide
vital support for learn-
b y S t e v e R o b i n so n
ing and growth are cut off for millions of individuals
with autism nationwide. The Princes decided to take
initiative to help other families like theirs and founded
a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that would
address the needs of adults with autism across the
country.
In 2014, MHAF was approached with a once-in-
a-lifetime opportunity. Sandy Lankler, a successful
attorney, investor and businessman, presented the
Princes with the equity in his 400-acre farm just off of
Big Woods Road in Dickerson, Maryland. Lankler had
fallen ill and wanted to transfer the property to a local
nonprofit before he passed away. He quickly decided
that MHAF was the right organization because it
would make a significant impact on the local commu-
nity. The nonprofit decided to call the farm Madison
Fields in honor of the Prince’s son.
With inclusion at the forefront of the organiza-
tion’s mission, MHAF decided that Madison Fields
would not just be a place for adults with autism,
but a place where individuals with various needs
could work and grow
together. After years of
& Taylor P olito
photos b y j o n atha n adamso n