TRAINING COURSE SOCIAL FARMING Call:2016 - 2016-1-IT02-KA204-024381 KA2 - Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices-Strategic Partnerships for adult education TRAINING COURSE SOCIAL FARMING CASE STUDY n° 2 - ANNAGH SOCIAL FARM 1

Contact: Simon and Jennifer Bullock Address: Northern Ireland MODULE Social Farming CASE STUDY N. 1 ANNAGH SOCIAL FARM Contact: Simon and Jennifer Bullock Address: Northern Ireland

HISTORY AND FARM DESCRIPTION The farm is situated County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The farm house is a traditional thatched cottage with a square of traditional stone barns that have been recently refurbished. The gardens are filled with mature trees with a pond used by wild birds. We also have the care of a ruined stone 17th century plantation castle on our farm. 3

DATA & FIGURES OVERVIEW TYPE OF FARM Mixed–beef, ducks and hens, woodland, wild bird and moth conservation, vegetable/fruit harvesting. The farm land extends to just over 100 acres of grazing lands. 4

Name: Annah Social Farm HOLDING DATA Name: Annah Social Farm Address: Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland E-mail: aghalane@gmail.com Web: https://www.ruralsupport.org.uk/social_farming/annagh-care-farm/ Type of enterprise: Simon and Jennifer Bullock Mixed–beef, ducks and hens Legal representative: Simon and Jennifer Bullock Year farm commenced: 1720 Year of commencement social farming: 2011 Size of farm: 100 acres (30 acres used for social farming) 5

MULTIFUNCTIONAL EXPERIENCE: DIVERSIFICATION Annagh Social Farm was selected as a pilot farm for Social Farming Across Borders (SoFAB) from the beginning of project 2013. The project was an EU INTERREG IVA Funded project which operated in the Border counties of Ireland and all of Northern Ireland. The Pilot Project included 10 from Republic of Ireland and 10 from throughout Northern Ireland. 6

AFTER DIVERSIFICATION OUTCOME: SITUATION OF THE HOLDING AFTER DIVERSIFICATION Heath farm continued as a social farm after the Social Farming across Border project ended. Since the project, Simon and Jennifer have continued to welcome people with learning disabilities and mental health issues through different funding routes. 7

OBSERVATIONS Annagh Social Farm Vision To have an integrated society where everyone is respected, valued and supported. Annagh Social Farm Mission To enable those who avail of supports and wish to live and/or work on a rural farm, to actively participate in purposeful farm activities and be a valued person in that community. 8

PROFILE OF FARMER-PROMOTER FULL NAME: Simon and Jennifer Bullock AGE: 40+ GENDER: Husband and wife EDUCATION: Simon: Agricultural College, BSc Business & Related Studies Jennifer: Professional Occupational Therapist YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Simon: years 25+ years Jennifer 25+ years 9

QUERIES OR CONSIDERATIONS Simon is the fifth generation of the Bullock family to live and work on this farm. After attending Agricultural college, Simon has improved the farm while maintaining the natural environment and currently manages the beef herd. Simon has experience in working with people with disabilities through the Riding for the Disabled and Assistance Dogs Northern Ireland. 10

QUERIES OR CONSIDERATIONS Jennifer was brought up on a farm and also loves the outdoor environment. As a Senior Occupational Therapist, Jennifer has experience treating and working with people who have physical and learning disabilities and people with mental health issues. Also, Simon and Jennifer both have personal experience of the joys and challenges of caring for loved ones with a disability. 11

INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES Assisting with cattle/sheep farm activities Feeding ducks and hens Selling and buying of cattle Erection of protective fencing 12

INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES Vegetable and herb planting Flower bed planting and seed bed preparation Window box and raised beds construction 13

INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES Soft and tree fruit planting Moth trapping, identification, recording, and releasing Wild bird feeding and identification 14

KEY PROCESS DESCRIPTION ON SOCIAL FARMING Process Description Competence Description Feeding animals Knowledge: Understanding the importance of eating properly for the animal and for the person to have good health. Skills: How to prepare food for the animals, how to plan when to feed them at the correct time, how to tidy up and keep food safe. Animals need interaction and working with animals and understanding their likes and dislikes helps them understand their own likes and dislikes. Animals give a structure and routine to the day. Attitudes: To accept the mood of the animal that it may not always be easy to fed it or it may not want to eat the food and relate this to themselves and other people. To be able to help and cooperate with the farmer to feed the animals. to develop flexibility to cope with unexpected situations. Assisting with cattle/sheep farm activities Understanding the importance of keeping the animals clean and checking their health to treat any cuts and wounds to avoid infections. How to take care of animals to wash and keep them clean and help to treat them with medications. It helps people with learning difficulties to take responsibility and learn about their own needs and self worth To relate positively to health professionals and accept that they may need to take medications to maintain their own health. 15

KEY PROCESS DESCRIPTION ON SUSTAINABILITY Process Description Competence Description Erection of protective fencing Knowledge: Why it is important for the farmer to maintain fences around the farm to keep the animals safe within the farm boundary and to protect people outside the farm so they are safe from the animals. Skills: Developing practical skills of how to build walls using stone, how to fix fences using wood and tools such as nails and hammers. Attitudes: To consider different needs. The needs of the animals to be safe inside and the needs of the public to be safe from animals. The responsibility to take care of people and animals. Vegetable and herb planting Flower bed planting and seed bed preparation To know how food is grown and to understand that it takes time to plant the food and take care of it so that it will grow into healthy food. How to use their hands and tools to weed, dig and prune plants so that it will grow. To gain patience to know that sometimes things take a long time before you see results. Learning about wildlife: Moth trapping, identification, recording, and releasing Knowledge: To know the moths, birds, the trees and the wildflowers that grow around the farm. Skills: To learn their names and recognise them and how to protect wildlife. Attitudes: How to take reponsibility for taking care of something apart from themselves.. 16

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults/ Children Suicide Awareness RECOMMENDED TRAINING First Aid Farm Safety Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults/ Children Suicide Awareness Epilepsy Training Self Protection – how to calm potential aggression 17

Support Social Skills Community Team Work Confidence FARMER’S KEYWORDS 18