Care Farming
Care farming is the therapeutic use of
farming practices. Care farms:
*Utilise
the whole or part of a farm
*Provide
health, social or educational care services for one or a range of vulnerable
groups of people
*Provide
a supervised, structured programme of farming-related activities
My vision is to collaborate with others to develop care farming activities on a mixed holding based on
Permaculture and bio-dynamic, sustainable design systems. The idea is well summarised by the quote from Masanobu
Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution:
“The ultimate goal of farming
is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human
beings”.
Across the UK both the health and social care, and
farming sectors are currently facing unprecedented challenges. Current health and social challenges include
obesity, depression, disconnection from nature and the increase in number of
disaffected young people place much pressure on health and social care
providers and education providers. In
addition, the farming sector has suffered many setbacks recently that threaten
the economic viability of farming.
Challenges faced by the sector include BSE, foot and Mouth and
bluetongue as well as fluctuations in markets, late subsidy payments and adverse
climatic conditions.
The business case for Care Farming hinges on the
potential win-win scenario for both the health and social care, and farming
sectors. This is because Care Farming offers:
- Evidence of positive outcomes
- Support for individuals to develop confidence and promote participation
- Development of employment skills
- Economic viability of farming
- Community bases
- Benefit to the local economy
There are over two thousand Care Farms in Europe. The Netherlands and Norway lead the way in
terms of numbers. In the UK there is a
growing movement towards green care in many contexts, ranging from social and
therapeutic horticulture (STH), animal assisted therapy (AAT), ecotherapy, and
green exercise activities. There is
robust evidence in support of Care Farming.
According to the key findings of a research project conducted by the
University of Essex in 2008 entitled, Care Farming in the UK (Hine,
Peacock and Pretty, 2008):
- Spending time participating in care farm activities is effective in enhancing mood and improving self-esteem
- Working on a care farm can significantly increase selfesteem and reduce feelings of anger, confusion, depression, tension and fatigue, whilst also enabling participants to feel more active and energetic
- Care farming therefore offers an ideal way of helping a wide variety of people to feel better
