Care farms research
Care farming is a valid solution to increasing
pressures on health and social care providers, offender management services and
educational bodies, according to new research. Increasing demands on these services to supply solutions to an ever wider range of challenges has created a need
for additional options for rehabilitation, therapy and training. Now University of Essex research shows there
is a proven positive relationship between exposure to nature and a person's health.
The recently published research findings, based on people who have used care farms, clearly show that spending time participating in care farm activities is effective in enhancing mood and improving self-esteem.
Respondents reported significantly reduced feelings of anger, confusion, depression, fatigue and tension and increased vigour enabling participants to feel more active and energetic. It is obvious that care farming offers an ideal way of helping a variety of people to feel better.
The latest research backs up evidence from Europe, where the Care Farm concept is more established, which clearly demonstrates that care farming is a win/win situation for farmers and rural communities, allowing the farm to stay economically viable whilst providing a valued health, social, rehabilitation and educational service to society.
Dr Kim Jobst, Health Advisor to the NCFI (UK) Steering Group and Founding Director of Functional Shift Consulting Ltd, is convinced of the benefits, describing care farming as heralding: “a whole new phase in the delivery of healthcare in the UK, addressing the society’s disconnection between the soul and the soil.”
Michael Dixon, Chair of the NHS Alliance also supports the development of care farming in the UK. He said: “Care Farms offer an effective and innovative solution to some of the most intractable problems faced by the neediest of society. They represent the therapy of brining people in touch with themselves, each other and their natural environment and restoring a sense of belonging and fulfilment. This important report presents a challenge to health commissioners who say they want to think ‘outside the box’ and who must now consider seriously the opportunities that Care Farms offer.”
Rev. Dr. Gordon Gatward, NCFI (UK) Chairman and Director of the Arthur Rank Centre is not surprised by the research findings and comments: “The research has revealed what many people already knew – that care farming is one of the most effective and efficient ways of delivering care to people with a wide range of needs. Having witnessed the impact that it has in the lives of many individuals I now hope that the publishing of this research will lead to countless others having the opportunity to access help through care farming.”
Sharing the farm, their farming skills and knowledge with others and being able to make a real difference to vulnerable people’s lives has been a primary motivation for care farmers and the potential development of care farming in the UK is huge. Dutch research published in November 2007 has shown that care farming is by far the fastest growing farm diversification in the Netherlands. In just under ten years the number of farms becoming involved has increased from 75 farms to over 800 farms providing care.
Projections have shown that, if developments in the UK follow a similar model to that in the Netherlands over the next ten years, the 315,000 farm holdings in the UK could be generating £149 million per annum. Average revenue for care farms in the Netherlands is currently £52,517 from providing care alone. At a regional level, benefits to the rural economy could be as much as £12.3 million in the West Midlands and £10.2 million in Yorkshire and Humber.
However, UK’s care farms currently exist without government policy, funding structures and recognition of legitimacy. Care farming has important policy implications for a wide range of sectors and is relevant for a range of different government departments, NGOs and the private and voluntary sectors.
Good partnership working between care provider, the farmer and the client is essential to match the client to the right farm and to tailor-make the care farm experience. Care farming has implications for many sectors, suggesting the need for cross-disciplinary and sectoral strategies and actions.
