Care Farming at Fordhall
Experienced staff
Skill building
Supportive atmosphere
Confidence growing
What is a Care Farm? A Care Farm provides health, social and educational care services through supervised, structured programmes of farming-related activities for a wide range of vulnerable people (Care Farming UK). At Fordhall we provide a day care service for individuals with learning disabilities.
The Community Garden
Funding from the Big Lottery Local Food programme created four raised beds and an orchard to be used as a community resource in 2008 – this area became our Community Garden - open to the public and welcoming over 20,000 visitors per year.
When this funding came to an end, this project developed into a sustainable Care Farm, funded through individuals’ personal budgets. The Care Farm attendees, or volunteer workers as they like to be called, do a wonderful job of maintaining and caring for this area of the farm, which is open and accessible to all on our farm trails.
We have a passion for nurturing nature and people in this space. We are working hard to make it a space for contemplation, play and community spirit. Please pop in and say hello, we'd love to meet you.
Our Care Farm
The Care Farm at Fordhall has grown out of a project where growing food was a means to growing and enabling people; engaging them in learning skills that would encourage them to make healthier choices about how to eat more healthily by growing more of their own food.
At Fordhall we are able to offer a wide variety of opportunities for adults with learning disabilities who wish to experience working outside in a range of settings. These experiences provide long lasting benefits, over and above those that can be delivered in a 'day care centre' setting.
They really are a part of the Fordhall family, having the opportunity to get involved with visiting schools and families – developing their confidence, communication skills, self-esteem and a sense of place and belonging within the community.
We offer a complete care service, with full supervision from our fully trained and experienced staff.
What activities are our Care Farm involved in?
- Growing a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables in the Community Garden to take home or share with the community, and if there is a surplus, making jams, chutney or pickles.
- Cooking and eating outside whenever possible! Sharing the space with all who come to visit, including the birds and many pollinators.
- Cooking soups and stews over a campfire, and pizzas in the clay/bread oven.
- Selling produce in Arthur’s Farm Kitchen and the profits help go back into our Care Farm.
- Regular walks on the farm, taking time out just to sit and enjoy the view.
- Making compost from all the food waste onsite, ensuring it is recycled into food for our plants and garden - we even have a wormery too!
- Feeding the birds in the community garden, outside Arthur's Farm Kitchen and in the woods to help look after native wildlife.
- Looking after the beds outside the tearoom and the yurts where people come to glamp. Ensuring they are all wildlife friendly, encouraging the birds, bees and butterflies into all of our garden spaces
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