The demand for the Kerry social farming project is continuing to far exceed the supply of host farms, the 10th annual meeting of the organisation has heard.
The project, established in 2013, offers people who avail of a range of therapeutic day support services the chance to participate in farming activities on a voluntary basis.
Joseph McCrohan, the rural development officer with South Kerry Development Partnership (SKDP), which oversees the award-winning project, told the recent meeting in Killarney that eight new host farmers began social farming in 2023.
The additional farms meant that 13 new participants throughout Kerry were able to join the project. There are now 54 people participating in social farming in the county on 40 host farms.
McCrohan added that there are currently 58 people waiting to gain access to social farming.
However, he said that the future looks bright for social farming as there is a growing interest and awareness among farming families.
He said that the prospects for social farming throughout Kerry looks very positive in the months and years ahead.
Kerry social farming
The meeting heard that SKDP has been approved for the “Workability –Inclusive Pathways To Employment Programme” which is a five year funding programme to support people with disabilities and further compliment the social farming voluntary model going forward.
SKDP has also been offered the opportunity by the HSE to begin a school leaver programme based on the project.
Irene Brune, Kerry social farming facilitator, who is managing and developing the programme, told the meeting that the initiative is very much hands on and offers one-to-one guidance and support.
She said that two men who wish to develop their life skills and education through the social farming model will be placed on host farms one to two days per week as part of the programme.
Another initiative led by social farming facilitator John Lynch called “Walks, Workshops and Wildlife” commenced in December, in association with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
This will develop a programme of five outings to include walks, workshops and wildlife either in Killarney National Park or a designated host farm throughout 2024.
Support worker Noel Murphy and job coach David Kissane, both employed by the Kerry Parents and Friends’ Association, described the role they play in facilitating their service users within the social farming programme.
They spoke of the therapeutic values to service users from working and interacting on a family farm.
Christy McDonnell from Caherciveen, a host farmer for many years, told the meeting that he could not see his life with social farming.
Chairperson of the working group Eamon Horgan, who is also a host farmer, thanked the volunteer farmers for their time and effort, along with everybody else who is helping to make social farming work.