NCFI Third National Conference Summary

Care Farming – Working Partnerships

16th September 2010

Introduction

Around 100 delegates attended NCFI’s third conference, titled ‘Working Partnerships’. After a welcome from the Director of International Policy at Harper Adams University College, Professor Brian Revell, Gordon Gatward, chair of NCFI, outlined one of the conference themes: care farming had successfully grown and raised its profile during the previous years, but NCFI now needed to form a new structure, so that the movement could develop in future - ideas on this were developed at a workshop the previous day and would be circulated shortly.

Main plenary

The conference started with an informative and amusing speech by Tom Heap (Presenter of BBC’s rural and environmental series, Costing the Earth). He was supportive of care farming, and confident that the movement would grow, saying it offered a new method of service delivery and a way to bridge the urban-rural divide. And he suggested branding of care farm products, like Fairtrade, was a significant and untapped income opportunity.

But Mr Heap warned of the risks as the movement grew, and gave hints on dealing with the media, so that they could be turned from ‘tricky customer to powerful ally.’ He said the media loved to run scare stories and feed people’s prejudices, and could imagine headlines such as ‘Crooks in a county near you’. This and the country’s clichéd images of rural areas, which people did not want altered, could make care farms be seen negatively.

He said the way to get good publicity was to use individual stories of redemption. And he said the movement needed to develop a robust narrative if it was to obtain public backing and withstand negative media coverage - which he warned was inevitable one day (as had happened in Holland this year) and NCFI should be prepared for.

See images from Tom Heap's Presentation here

Speakers

Stephanie Pedrick (Owner/manger, Oak Park Care Farm) gave a graphic account of running her two care farms, Roseland and Plushayes, and the challenges of farming Cornish bog and fighting off moorland rabbits. She said going for accreditation had helped her secure the tenancy of Plushayes from Cornwall County Council, but the lack of referrals currently made this care farm unviable – it was only sustained by her having two farms and running a farm shop as well.

See Stephanie’s Presentation here

After a break for coffee, Sari Kelsey (Manager of Recovery Services, Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Trust) gave delegates ideas on how to develop partnerships with commissioners. She spoke of three success factors: the need to have a good concept (bring together farmers with a recovery model that enabled people to function); choose the right time (capitalise for example on the introduction of direct payments and personal budgets); and the importance of good communication (have a belief in ones work, determination and optimism).

See Sari's presentation here

Before lunch, Michael Lishman also gave a moving account of his volunteering work at Growing Well care farm in Cumbria.

Before tea, delegates heard about the development of three regional networks of care farms – these are also summarised in NCFI’s Summer 2010 Newsletter.

·  Caroline Matheson said a multi agency steering group in Scotland had now formed a registered charity and was now looking towards holding its first AGM, electing a chair, and hosting a conference.
See Caroline's Presentation here

·  Larry Atwood documented the activities of Care Farming West Midlands, where three years funding from the Regional Development Agency had so far nurtured 11 new care farms and secured increased placements of mental health and excluded youth. However, risk-averse commissioners, delays in personalisation and a thinly spread staff team had delayed further progress.
See Larry's Presentation here (Powerpoint 2007)

·  Ellie Goff described the creation of the East Anglia Care Farming Group, which now met every couple of months and whose profile had been significantly boosted after the county hosted a visit by a Norwegian Study Group of care farmers.
See Ellie's Presentation here

Concluding the conference, Rachel Hine (University of Essex) gave an outline of the research, funding schemes and other initiatives taking place in the UK and mainland Europe.

See Rachel's Presentation here

Memorable quotes

‘It’s time for the sector to move on - to make it fit for purpose, and ready for the next stage of evolution.’

‘It’s the people that make care farms work – not the plants or the programme.’

‘Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I’ll understand, involve me and I’ll remember.’

‘Disguise the care part in the farming.’

‘The time has come for care farming - its moment has arrived.’

Delegates List

John Sones - Small Holder Magazine

Corale Hopwood - The Able project

John Le Corney - Heeley City Farm

Symmer Sandhu - Dignus Healthcare

Samantha Marriott - Dignus Healthcare

John Hirons - Federation of City Farms

and Community Gardens

Keeley Thomas - Federation of City Farms

and Community Gardens

Colin Branston - Aunt Addie’s Farm Project

Stephen Sellers - New Farm Horizons

Julia Evans - E & P Evans / Longlands Care

Farm

Mr Walker - E & P Evans / Longlands Care

Farm

Debbie Evans - Robert Owen Communities

Ross Evans - Hurst Hall Farm

Ann De Bock - Rural Care @ Church Farm

Brendon Fletcher-Chard - Sherratts Wood Farm

Jonathan Dover - Private

Gemma May - Outward

James Taylor - LEAF

John Atherton - Stable Trading Company CIC

Kerryn Anderson - Care Farming West Midlands

Katie Johnson - Care Farming West Midlands

Catherine Haynes - Care Farming West Midlands

Michael Whithouse - Care Farming West Midlands

Vincent Coyle - Private

Hans Widmann - St John of God Kidlare Services

Martin Ellis - Arthur Rank Training

Berni Courts - Ruskin Mill College

Isabel Hands - The Warriner School Farm

Christopher Holloway - The Warriner School Farm

Carol Ann Carney - Upper Moreton Farm Rural Project

Gareth Gaunt - Carlshead Ltd

Julie Plumley - Rylands Farm

James O’Brien - Rylands Farm

Tony Sharps - Lambourne End Centre

Rebecca Russell - Moray Market Garden Co

Nigel Lowthorp - Hill Holt Wood

Ian Beeson - Hill Holt Wood

Chris Leck - University of Worcester

Ed Davies - Glevum Farm Trust

Stephen Foale - Beacon Life & Learning Centre

Mark Hobson - Ashfield Gardens – Camphill Houses

Alexandra Chalmers - Learning Fields Community Interest

Company

Douglas Chalmers - Learning Fields Community Interest

Company

David Rose - Farmeco Community Care Farm

Jenny Bowen - Natural England

Dave Cintis - Private

Mark Cintis - Private

Michael Hancock - Herefordshire Voluntary Action

Robert Dewar - Action for Children

Amy Reynolds - Action for Children

Penny Bond - Hush Farms

George Smith - Autism Initiatives Northern Ireland

Simon Bullock - Autism Initiatives Northern Ireland

Susan Seymour - Moss Peteral Farm

Louise Hare - HAUC Student

Elizabeth John - Amelia Trust Farm

Lorraine Brown - Amelia Trust Farm

Martin Sales - Beckside

Lois Samuel - Gilead Foundation

Laura Alm - Gilead Foundation

Zita Murphy - Dept of Agriculture & Rural

Development (NI)

Emma Costley-White - Scrubditch Care Farm Project

Sue Gilling - Scrubditch Care Farm Project

Mark Davies - Care Farming West Midlands

Martin Stearman - Brown’s Place Farm

Emma Bogaard - Uncllys Farm

Eunice Simmons - Nottingham Trent University

Joanna Blake - Private

David Botterill - London Borough Barking &

Dagenham

Tim Sidaway - Garden Farm High Leas

Elspeth Clark - Private

Edward Hill - Gamelea Farm

Elizabeth Hill - Gamelea Farm

Penny Connorton - Gamelea Farm

John Gilmour - Private

Brian Hainsworth - Farming & Countryside

Education

Robin Maynard - Private

Esther Chamberlain - Crowmarsh Battle Farm

Fiona Williams - Institute of Rural Health

Gregory Potterton - Farm Safari

Mary Snow - Social & Community Services

David Hare - Private

Theresa Salmon - Newham City Farm

Shaun Thorogood - Private

Bernadette Thorogood - Private

Rebecca King - The Magdalen Project

George Glide - Private

Daniel Powell - Private

Helen Bailey - Farm 2 Grow Ltd

ENDS