What is Care Farming?
Care Farming is an expanding activity in the UK − also known as ‘Social Farming’ or ‘Farming for People with Potential’.
"It is a partnership between health & social agencies, participants and farmers that develops people’s potential rather than focussing on their limitations." (Source: NCFI 2009)
The service users benefiting from farm visits are a cross-section of the population from young children to the elderly, the main categories being those with learning disabilities, mental illness/difficulties including trauma, point of exclusion/excluded school children, disaffected youth, those with drug/alcohol dependency and those on long term State Benefits.
Why look at the Care Farming option?
- on the right farm, the atmosphere while working or in break time relaxes people and, with the right job and guidance from the farmer and his family to suit their skills, they feel respected
- animal therapy can be available, either directly or indirectly through work
- exercise and fresh air take precedence (‘reconnecting with nature’)
- encourages new skills or the opportunity to use an existing undiscovered one (‘training in a desirable environment’)
- supervision from an entrepreneurial, self-sufficient business man (ie the farmer role model is a strong one, especially for younger participants)
- more emphasis on healthy food as closer to the source
- leisure facilities can be available in the same place (eg fishing ponds, nature walks)
- systemic benefits − all parties directly or indirectly involved eg supervisors or other family members can benefit from the rural experience
(Hine, Peacock & Pretty, University of Essex 2008)
Development of Care Farming in the UK
There are 80 recognised Care Farms in the UK but many more farms have one area or just part of a week specifically designated for participants.
Care Farms in Holland have expanded rapidly over the last 10 years with registration moving from 75 to over 1,000. Although the result in Holland cannot be expected to predict reliably the future in the UK, the potential of Care Farming is clear. Out of interest only, based on the Dutch experience, an annual income for farmers in the next 10 years could be extrapolated up to £149m for the whole of the UK, with £12m coming from the South East region alone. (J Dover, NCFI 2008).
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