“Rainbow Omega is like a well-kept secret,” says Tim Hodge, CEO of Rainbow Omega. Right off the interstate, on 320 acres of beautiful property, Rainbow Omega is a faith-based non-profit organization that has served adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1995.
The concept behind this amazing program is to provide services for adults with developmental disabilities. Rainbow Omega provides live-in vocational training and helps these adults learn basic job skills to gain confidence and allow them to earn a paycheck. This program also allows residents to get a feel for working and learn valuable life skills. There are currently 82 residents living on campus.
Rainbow Omega’s first agriculturally based vocational program was the Eastaboga Farmers Market, a small farmers market right off Interstate I-20. The residents of Rainbow Omega were able to work at this market. Fruits and vegetables were donated and then sold to the public. The proceeds were reinvested into the organization.
After receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rainbow Omega was able to build greenhouses on campus. The first cash crop grown in the greenhouses was poinsettias. This gave the residents a chance to work in a greenhouse setting and get their hands dirty by handling every aspect of the growing process. They began to sell these plants on campus, and eventually began to wholesale their products and load trucks to take to local churches and sell to the congregations.
“The most natural connection for vocational opportunities for our residents, due to our rural setting, was an agriculturally based product,” says Hodge.
Fueled by the success of poinsettia sales, Rainbow Omega grew their fern and mum program. After receiving an additional USDA grant and matching donation from Alfa Insurance and the Alabama Farmers Federation, they were able to build four more greenhouses on campus. The Alabama Farmers Federation’s Director of Communications and Public Relations, Jeff Helms, who also serves as Vice Chairman of Rainbow Omega’s board, said the agricultural industry partnering with Rainbow Omega is a natural fit.
“From the very beginning, the agricultural community has been supportive as we share many of the same values,” said Helms. “Members of the Alabama Farmers Federation and the entire agriculture industry have been quick to partner with Rainbow Omega when we needed additional plants for our sales, volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors or equipment for the farm projects.”
In December 2019, grant funding and another donation from Alfa helped with the construction of a garden center and gift shop to sell products as a means for extra income.
Residents at Rainbow Omega also gain farm experience in the summer tending and picking blueberries. Hodge recounted a story about how their blueberry patch began. During a board meeting, the idea was proposed to plant 15-20 bushes for the residents to pick from during the year.
“One of our board members had a love for blueberries and offered to buy 400 bushes to plant,” Hodge said.
Rainbow Omega’s “Blueberry Hill” was created, and the rest is history. After a harsh winter in 2023, most of the U-pick blueberry patches in the area were affected, but not Rainbow Omega’s!
The abundance of blueberries led them to start “Berry Picking Day.” Now, three years later, they have experienced remarkable success with this event and gain more attention each year. This event helps residents further cultivate their agricultural skills. 2025’s berry picking day was Saturday, June 21, and consumers picked high-quality Sweet Grown Alabama berries while also shopping with local vendors.
Pre-picked berries and U-pick are available other days while berries last. For information on blueberry availability and greenhouse produce, call (256) 831-0919 ext. 260. Rainbow Omega’s Garden and Gift Shop is open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through the summer. The campus is located at 100 Hope Drive, Eastaboga, AL, less than 2 miles off I-20 at exit 173.
Rainbow Omega can be found online at Rainbowomega.org as well as on Facebook. This non-profit organization is primarily funded through donations, which can be made online.
Sweet Grown Alabama is a non-profit foundation that enhances marketing opportunities for Alabama farmers by connecting retailers and consumers to Alabama-grown foods and other agricultural products.
