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your homegrown newspaper October 8, 2025
Vol. 22, No. 5
Legacy of love: Jake’s Farm in the Dell nears completion By Joyce Lobeck for the Valley Journal
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Gathering place pg. 5
Great pumpkin drop pg. 8
Homecoming pg. 14
hough Jake Janssen passed away in 2023, his legacy – and his spirit – lives on in the assisted living facility being built in Ronan for other adults with autism. That legacy is moving closer to reality in a number of ways. The house, Jake’s Farm in the Dell, will likely be completed later this month. Dennis Toney has been hired as executive director and is working to gain state certification. Soon the facility will begin accepting applications from potential employees, and it is fielding calls about prospective clients. “I’m excited seeing it coming to a finish,” said Jake’s father, Richard “Rich” Janssen Jr., who cofounded Proactive Living Facility with his wife, Julie, as the umbrella organization for Jake’s Farm in the Dell. “I’ll be even more excited when people start moving in.” He expects that will start early in 2026 as soon as Jake’s Farm in
COURTESY PHOTO
The Janssen family during a happy time from left are Julie, son Jake, daughter Jenna and Richard. Jake, an autistic adult, died in 2023, but his family remains committed to developing a group home in Ronan in their son’s memory for others. Many years in development, the first home is now nearing completion.
the Dell receives state certification. The transition will start slowly with one client. Eventually, the 4,600 square foot house, built to meet the special needs of autistic adults, will be home to four clients. Plans are to build other homes over the coming years for even more clients. But for now, “our focus is getting the first home done and open,” Janssen
said, emphasizing that it will be only for Montana residents who have a Montana Medicaid waiver. “The whole idea is to keep Montana residents in Montana and not shipped out of state or in group homes that aren’t specifically for autism.” Then, Rich said, “we’ll start on the next one.” He explained that there is plenty of room for more homes on the 10 acres w w w.va l le yj our na l.net
at 1005 Autism Lane off Llama Lane on the west side of Ronan behind St. Luke’s Hospital. After all, he noted, there is great need for such facilities. The prevalence of autism is increasing, but currently there are no specific assisted living facilities in Montana for adults with autism. That means autistic adults are now either are placed in group homes that don’t
specifically meet their needs or they’re sent to facilities hundreds of miles from their homes and families. That’s a challenge the Janssens are dedicating their lives to rectify, one home at time, in their son’s memory. While local, Jake’s Farm in the Dell is part of Farm in the Dell International, which works to build community-based, self-supporting farming homes for the disabled. The Foundation works to acquire land, build the home, begin the farm, and integrate the entirety into the local community in a way that is beneficial for the community, the residents and workers at the farms. “Jake is my life’s work,” said Rich. “When you have a child with special needs, that becomes your life. Schools don’t have the resources to deal with autism. It takes parents like us to push for it … be proactive.” His son Jake suffered from autism, epilepsy and see page 2