Kathryn created the organization after finding out that her son's (Erik Nordberg) options upon stepping into adulthood, were not enough. "As your child starts to get older you think what's going to happen when I'm gone," Kathryn Nordberg said. "Every parent of a child with special feels about that." The ranch was named after her son.
Nordberg said that organizations like this are needed badly because of the commonness of autism in the United States. Erik was diagnosed at the age of 2 years old; one case was reported in every 5,000 births According to an article on the Independent Record.
At present Erik is 25 years old, and the disorder is diagnosed in one of 68 children. Nordberg said, "Now when I walk into a room full of people and ask if anybody knows what autism is, 90 people raise their hand." Erik's Ranch and Resort started in 2014 as a boutique hotel in Medina, Minnesota, near the Twin Cities according to autismspeaks.org.
The resident "members" of the resort consists of moderate to high functioning young adults with autism. Yearly expenses only cost $30,000 or more, and this covers up rent, utilities, two meals a day, transportation and social activities like hiking and biking. To help pay the program, members can earn up to $15,000 by working at the resort. They can work as an attendant, or a chef, or a tour guide. They can also lead activities such as horseback riding. Also, the resort is a place where both guest and members can benefit from the interaction. People with autism struggle to develop social skills since most of the time their social interaction is limited only to their caregivers and family. Meeting new people for them can be therapeutic. In the case of the guests, meeting folks outside their idea of normal is also meaningful for them. Nordberg said that the Minnesota resort started taking guests about a year ago, and many look forward to coming back to visit the members during their stay. Nordberg aspires to have the cost of membership drop as more people come and make return visits. The ranch operates the same way as the ranch in Minnesota. The farm in Minnesota started to accommodate guests in the off-grid cabin a year ago. The cabin has 70 percent occupancy throughout the year. Between the beginning of June and end of September, it was vacant for only two days. Nordberg said that the organization learned from its experience and agreed to have guest clientele and revenue before bringing in members to allow for more job opportunities when they arrive.
According to Larry Jordan who oversees the site's daily operation, some of the members already started working at the Paradise Valley Ranch. Jordan, who's a hall of fame rodeo cowboy, said that he was impressed with the abilities of the people he has worked. They helped in getting the ranch ready. They mowed lawns, cleaned the barns, and put up fencing. The ranch houses six horses and members take guests on tours on the nearby national forest and a tall butte across the road from the main lodge. Jordan welcomes every guest to the ranch with his authentic Montana persona and a few Wild West tales from when he was still a cowboy. The ranch also has an indoor arena with a commercial kitchen and bunkrooms. The bunkrooms will need remodelling and will likely end up as rentals. Nordberg said that the ranch is looking to expand its south property and another six cabins spaced on the hillside. More guest accommodation will increase the capacity for new members. In the mean time the main lodge, the pool house and off grid cabins are the only ones available for rent.
