Find out more about care farming, where it started and what it's about. Featuring care farmers, service users and health and care professionals from around the UK.
Care farming is the therapeutic use of farming practices. Our video tells you more about what that looks like in real life.
We feature care farmers, service users and health and care professionals from around the UK.
Watch to find out more about:
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Care farming origins - care farming started with farmers, but it's growing. Many people from health, care and education backgrounds are now care farming.
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How care farming works - care farms use the natural environment to improve outcomes for people with a defined need.
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Working with service users - care farms provide services for adults and children with a range of learning disabilities, physical disabilities or mental ill health.
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Referrals - people come to care farms in different ways, including via local authorities, care coordinators, self-referral, agency workers or schools.
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Funding - service users will usually pay a contribution through their personal care budgets. Care farms also rely on fundraising and grants.
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What happens on a care farm - no two farms are the same, but people can join in with real-life farm activities from animal care to growing plants.
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Why care farming works - the mix of the natural environment, social relationships and meaningful activity is what makes care farming so powerful.
Principles of care farming narrated slides
You can also view and listen to recorded PowerPoint slides narrated by care farming and green care expert Dr Rachel Bragg.
The PowerPoint presentation covers:
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What care farming means - care farming means the therapeutic use of farming practices.
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Care farming in the green care sector - green care is structured therapy or treatment programmes that take place in natural surroundings.
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Care farming origins in the UK - modern UK care farming practices originated in The Netherlands.
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Care farming is good for people - Studies show that care farming and green care use contact and connection with nature to help people.
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Care farming is good for health and social care - care farming and green care link well with existing national health systems like social prescribing.
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Care farming is good for agriculture - care farming involves more people in farming, reduces social isolation, increases income and delivers 'public good'.
Produced by the Social Farms and Gardens project Growing Care Farming (2019-2022).
Where to go next
For more information visit the care farming knowledge base or our events page for the latest training courses.