Farmers might not necessarily describe working with animals as therapeutic, but for some people that is exactly what it is. Real-life working farms are now taking people out of institutionalised models of care and bringing them onto their farm, where things like routine farm work and farm family life form the basis of a very different type of social support service.

Under the stewardship of the farmer, feeding calves and the 11 o’clock cup of tea is a very relaxed but effective way of helping those in need of support, such as those with a learning disability, a mental health issue or, for example, an acquired brain injury.

The history

Social farming is not new and there is a long history of therapeutic and rehabilitation value in interaction with animals and nature. It is a practice running in the Netherlands, Italy, France and Norway, to name a few.

It has many benefits, particularly in relation to mental health. It improves self-esteem and well-being, restores feelings of worth and boosts self-confidence. The farmer can provide continuity and stability to the service user, which enhances their feeling of security and safety. Also, physical activity can distract from symptoms, reducing feelings of anger, confusion, depression, tension and fatigue.

The programme improves social behaviour and reduces the need for medical intervention and hospitalisation. And social farming is mutually beneficial.

Pilot programme

Matthew McGreahan, chair of Louth IFA, participated in a social farming pilot in 2014, which saw three men with special needs visit his farm once a week for 30 weeks.

“It feels good to have such a positive impact on people’s lives,” says Matthew.

“I used to feel it was a stress-free day when the guys were on the farm. Two of the men were from Dundalk and they got a bus out. The other man was from Cooley and had 14 sheep himself. We had a routine where we let out the hens, fed the dogs and ducks, and said hello to the horse. Then we’d get into the jeep and go up to the fields. We’d go tagging and weighing lambs. We’d be dosing. The lads had their own part to play in the chores.”

After an initial expression of interest from 144 farming households, 20 farmers and 66 participants were chosen for the pilot.

The participants were comprised of 37 adults with special needs and 29 adults who were in recovery from mental health difficulties. These particular participants were chosen because they were interested in farming and meeting new people.

The pilot is widely acknowledged as having been a success. Of the pilot farmers, 75% said they were either highly likely or certain to continue with social farming. When asked what they got from the experience themselves, one farmer said: “We’re restoring things that have been neglected, learning new and old skills. It’s a very social thing for the farmer as well. I mean, there’s always craic with the participants, whereas most days you’d be on your own.”

But now that all the piloting has taken place and everyone agrees social farming is a great thing, where do things stand now? The Department of Agriculture has supported the development of Social Farming by enabling the opening of the Support Office at Leitrim Development Company. Also, Social Farming Across Boundaries (SOFAB Ltd) is a project that was set up by Matthew and other farmers who participated in the pilot, to keep social farming on the agenda.

These farmers want to see a permanent structure set up for social farming, which incorporates payment to farmers for the service provided. A number of conversations have taken place with many different levels of the HSE, not least a meeting at the top level with Kathleen Lynch.

Such negotiations have been supported by the Social Farming Support Office, which was opened in April 2015 by the Leitrim Development Company. All the meetings held with the HSE have been met with a very positive response, but there has been no concrete move to bring social farming to the next level – ie an organised permanent system that incorporates sustainable payment – at a level that allows social farming to continue both for the Government health providers and for farmers.

While both the Boundaries group and the Support Office are working to see this realised at a regional and national level, local arrangements with individual farms and services are being established in the interim.

One of these interim arrangements is taking place on the farm of Malachy Dolan in Fermanagh, who is chairman of the group, and others, including William McLaughlin in Malin, and Barry Kavanagh in Cavan, also have similar arrangements in place.

In another initiative, the Social Farming support office have had advanced discussions to contract three farms to provide further placements in the Republic of Ireland.

The social farming pilot in 2014 was led by UCD Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast and conducted through rural development partner Leitrim Development Co. - to prove it could work. That pilot was about seeing if, having gone through it, people would have an appetite for social farming and if it could work logistically.

There is no doubt Malachy and his social farming peers have invested serious time and effort into social farming thus far. Malachy believes that social farming is one of the best diversification options for farm families to make farms sustainable, to make succession sustainable and to provide a service that is required in the locality. CL

Join

Those interested in learning more about social farming should call into the Boundaries Group at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland tent at the Ploughing or contact the Support Office at Leitrim Development Company, Laird House, Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim. Call 086-790-5596.