An open day for social farming is taking place next Tuesday on Corrigans Dairy farm in Carrickmacross.
Social Farming offers people availing of health or social care supports the opportunity to spend time and carry out activities on ordinary working family farms.
Social farms are not specialised 'treatment' farms, they are ordinary working farms located throughout the country but where the farmer has received training and on-going mentoring to provide support to participants.
They vary in size and type of operation and include suckler, dairy, equestrian, tillage, sheep and goat operations as well as many mixed farm enterprises. Social farms provide an ever-changing mix of activities depending on the season, weather and type of farm operation.
There are all types of farms involved, we have over 130 active Social Farms available nationally, with the smallest farm being just one acre (a grower) and the largest being a dairy farm extending to several hundred acres. At present, they are 2 Social Farms in County Monaghan.
Social Farming Ireland is on the lookout for more farmers across the Northern Sound region to get involved in this community based farming practice.
National Coordinator with Social Farming Ireland, Helen Doherty has been speaking to our reporter Ronan Gargan about the Carrickmacross open morning event.
Ronan started his conversation with Helen by asking her to explain what social farming actually means.
The open day in Carrickmacross is going to be held on the morning of Tuesday, June 20th, more information can be got at socialfarmingIreland.ie.
