Downham Farm offers people the opportunity to work on a traditional smallholding. The farm offers a wide range of activities to a variety of people. Activities include small and farm animal care, horticulture, basic woodworking, estate maintenance, arts and crafts. Since it started in 2011 the care farm has grown and is now based in Monk Soham. The farm has a variety of old farm buildings, traditi
onal farm yard and 15 acres of grazing land. The farm yard and buildings are suitable for wheelchair users and has fully accessible toilets. Care farming is the therapeutic use of farming practices providing health, social or educational care services for one or a range of groups of people through supervised and structured programmes of farming and related activity. In other words a care farm essentially combines care of the land (including the environment and the animals) with the care of people. Work on a care farm can help put someone’s life back on track by providing meaningful activity and a practical daily structure. The activities undertaken are real and based on the daily, weekly and seasonal jobs around the farm. The benefits, of being outdoors in the fresh air and working with animals, improved mental and physical health; are now becoming more widely recognised by health and education professionals.
