Care Farming in Yorkshire

Posted 9 November 2009

Yorkshire people have a chance to learn about care farming at an informal meeting on November 24.

The event is taking place at Gareth Gaunt's Carlshead care farm, near Wetherby, at 11am. The aim of the meeting is to bring together anyone who is interested in seeing care farming developed in Yorkshire, to talk about existing or planned care farming projects, to hear about updates from other parts of the UK and to discuss the possible development of a Yorkshire care farming group.

“Care farming is not a new concept in certain countries in mainland Europe and for some years, farmers in countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Italy have taken progressive steps combining farming with care of people who have a disability or are socially disadvantaged,” said National Care Farming Institute Co-ordinator Debbie Wilcox, who is based at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire.

“There are also care farms, large and small, in the UK, which have been in running for many years, but with little recognition. Care farming develops best as a partnership and in parts of the UK local and regional groups have been coming together to promote and develop care farming in their area, raise awareness and encourage the development of more care farms. 

"We would really like such a group to promote and support the development of care farming in Yorkshire and we’d like to initiate it with the support of a range of organisations, businesses and individuals. 

“We are convinced that care farming is self-evidently a very good idea, but we realise that to make it work in Yorkshire we need to take a strategic approach to building the evidence base and developing a group in a way that will be most useful to farmers, practitioners and policymakers.

“You will be able to hear more about care farming, what it is and how it works and have the opportunity to talk to others and be at the beginning of something really exciting for Yorkshire. You will also get the chance to look round Carlshead and see how a care farm works.”

The meeting is free to attend and lunch will be provided but booking is essential. To book, email enquries@ncfi.org.uk or telephone Debbie Wilcox on 01952 815335.
The venue for the meeting is Carlshead Ltd, Paddock House Farm, Sicklinghall, Nr Wetherby, LS22 4BJ.

Links:

http://www.carlshead.co.uk/Carlshead_Site/Care_Farming.html

www.ncfi.org.uk