Care farms
What is care farming?
A care farm uses farming practices as part of a restorative healing treatment or therapy.
The care farm could be all or part of a farm and offer health, social or educational care services to vulnerable people. Social Farms & Gardens has the Green Care Quality Mark to give confidence about the safe practices and professional conduct of the organisation.
What do care farms offer?
- The care of horses is a feature of a number of UK care farms. Some have horses as part of their work, while others are specifically equine therapy centres
- Less abled bodied people can learn new skills and develop new interests in a care farming environment
- Young people often benefit from the care farming environment, learning new skills such as taking on responsibility for animal welfare
- Care farms enable people with learning difficulties to experience the natural world in a new way
- Learning about food and where it comes from is one of the many educational benefits of care farms.
Those referred to a care farm will be offered a regular and structured programme of farming-related activities such as:
- Crop and vegetable production
- Woodland management
- Animal management - animal husbandry, small animals, livestock, poultry
How can I get a service?
Referrals are usually from social services, health care teams, education services and probation services but people can also be referred by family members of self-refer themselves.
Care farms cannot offer a free service and therefore charge a fee for the programmes that they offer.
Where are they?
There are several care farms in and around Norfolk:
Clinks Care Farm - www.clinkscarefarm.org.uk (opens new window)
Clinks Farm, Toft Monks, NR34 OET
Telephone: 01502 679134
Email: [email protected]
Edfords Care Farm - www.edfordscarefarm.co.uk (opens new window)
Browns Lane, Mautby, NR29 3JQ
Tel: 01603 559449
Email: [email protected]
Lingwood Care Farm - www.lingwoodcarefarm.com (opens new window)
Dairy Farm, 41 Station Road, Lingwood, Norwich, NR13 4AZ
Telephone: 07946 610973
Email: [email protected]
Pathways Care Farm - www.pathways-care-farm.org.uk (opens new window)
Leonard Drive, Lowestoft, NR32 4WB
Telephone: 01502 531258
Email: [email protected]
Sunset Barn Care Farm - Sunset Barn Care Farm website (opens new window)
Sunset Barn, Brandon, IP27 9BY
Telephone: 07847 037622
Email: [email protected]
Thornage Hall - www.thornagehall.co.uk (opens new window)
Thornage, Holt, NR25 7QH
Telephone: 01263 860305
Email: [email protected]
Willow Tree Farming - www.willowtreefarming.co.uk (opens new window)
Field Farm, Hillington, King's Lynn, PE31 6DL
Telephone: 07786 853549
Email: [email protected]
Find out more
Some care farms have their own website, Facebook page, or entry in the Norfolk Community Directory.
