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: admin@clinkscarefarm.org

Edfords Care Farm - www.edfordscarefarm.co.uk (opens new window)
Browns Lane, Mautby, NR29 3JQ
Tel: 01603 559449
Email: info@edfordscarefarm.co.uk

Lingwood Care Farm - www.lingwoodcarefarm.com (opens new window)
Dairy Farm, 41 Station Road, Lingwood, Norwich, NR13 4AZ
Telephone: 07946 610973
Email: sallymedler@hotmail.co.uk

Pathways Care Farm - www.pathways-care-farm.org.uk (opens new window)
Leonard Drive, Lowestoft, NR32 4WB
Telephone: 01502 531258
Email: geoff@pathways-care-farm.org.uk

Sunset Barn Care Farm - Sunset Barn Care Farm website (opens new window)
Sunset Barn, Brandon, IP27 9BY
Telephone: 07847 037622
Email: melaniepsmith@hotmail.co.uk

Thornage Hall - www.thornagehall.co.uk (opens new window)
Thornage, Holt, NR25 7QH
Telephone: 01263 860305
Email: office@thornagehall.co.uk

Willow Tree Farming - www.willowtreefarming.co.uk (opens new window)
Field Farm, Hillington, King's Lynn, PE31 6DL
Telephone: 07786 853549
Email: info@willowtreefarming.co.uk

Find out more

Search for care farms in your area

Some care farms have their own website, Facebook page, or entry in the Norfolk Community Directory.