An Introduction to Care Farming

An Introduction to Care Farming 

Care farming is the use of farming practices to support individuals with education, health or social care outcomes through purposeful work, outdoor activities and social interactions. This pioneering new course, created by AgriCura, will provide an overview of all aspects of care farming for those considering setting up a care farm or those commissioning care farming services.  

Time & Location

 

July 13th 2022 & October 5th 2022  10:00 – 17:00  

FarmED, Station Rd, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Chipping Norton OX7 6BJ, UK  

Overview 

Care farming is the use of farming practices to support individuals with education, health or social care outcomes through purposeful work, outdoor activities and social interactions. Care farming has a long history going back to Ancient Greece and medieval Europe and has become more popular again in the last twenty years. Some people view care farming as a 'calling' and for others its enabled valuable farm diversification.   

If you are considering setting up a care farm or commissioning care farm services, then this course will support your decision making. During the event we will look at current practice and policy in the UK and underpin this with research and examples of good practice from around the world.   

Course Aim 

This course will provide an overview of all aspects of care farming for those considering setting up a care farm or those commissioning care farming services.   

Audience 

This event is ideal for family farmers considering care farming; health, education or social care providers considering commissioning care farming services; and policy makers, researchers, practicing care farmers and anyone with a general interest in care farming or green care.  

Learning Outcomes  

This course will enable participants to: 

 

1. Discuss the context and history of care farming  

2. Summarise current care farming policy, research and practice 

3. Understand the benefits and challenges of care farming for both the farmers and clients 

4. Explore their next steps in care farming through discussion and reflection  

Costs  

The standard ticket price for this event is £55 inc. VAT for the day.  All food and refreshments are included.  

Supporter = £75

Supported = £35

Delivery of our mission is a collective effort and our values embrace inclusivity and diversity. We don’t want price to be a barrier to  anyone visiting FarmED or attending our events. Read more about our tiered pricing policy here.

Course Leaders 

This new and unique course is run by Joy O’Neil and Tegan O’Neil from AgriCura, in association with FarmED.   

Joy has over twenty years’ experience of teaching in schools and universities and as a Leader and Adviser in Local Authorities and the charity sector. ​In 2018, while supporting a young person at risk of exclusion from school, she visited a care farm. Since then, she has been fascinated by the concept of care farming and how this could support education, health and wellbeing for vulnerable individuals. Between 2019 and 2021 Joy was a Director of a Buckinghamshire-based care farm. ​While investigating more about the topic, she arranged visits to almost 50 care farms, city farms and social or therapeutic gardens across the South East of England to learn about the benefits they provided for clients. Many shared their private concerns and worries, which usually centred around funding and attracting enough clients. Joy began to wonder if there were any real benefits for anyone other than the clients themselves, in a care farm set up and decided to apply for a Churchill Fellowship to research care farming with a focus on the benefits to the farmer, the local community and the rural economy. Joy completed her research in 2021 working with farms from Australia, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Israel, and the US.   

Tegan has over five years experience delivering care farming sessions and animal assisted interventions. These take place both on the farm and in local community venues such as homes for the elderly and children’s centres. She is currently studying to become a veterinary physiotherapist and prior to that was the manager of an open farm. 

FarmED Bursary  

If funding is a real barrier to you, please get in touch. We have a small bursary pot which we can use to help fund or part fund core fees and other expenses for those that will benefit most. See https://www.farm-ed.co.uk/bursaries 

The Agenda  

The final agenda for the day will be posted here when finalised.