Laois holds successful first Social Farming Open Day

Deirdre and Damien O’Donohue’s Fearnóg Farm near Mountrath hosted the first Social Farming Open Day in Laois last Friday, July 21. 

Deirdre and Damien are part of the Social Farming Ireland Network of farms who offer participants with health and social care needs the opportunity to get involved in ordinary farm activities on their farms, as a form of social support service. 

Social Farming provides people with the opportunity for inclusion, to increase self-esteem and to improve health and well-being by taking part in day to day farm activities on a family farm. 

Having completed her training just as Covid hit in 2020, Deirdre accepted her first participants in 2023 after delays due to the pandemic.

Guests on the day included many participants interested in availing of social farming, Minister of State Pippa Hackett, Deirdre and Damien’s family and friends and staff from Laois Partnership, Teagasc, staff and service users from HSE Mental Health Services Laois Offaly as well as many form local Disability support services.

There were contributions on the day on behalf of participants, which included testimonials from participants supported by the OT team in Mental Health Services. 

Participants spoke about the warm welcome they received on the farm and the hospitality which included farm produce, and all spoke about how much they learned through the many activities and what great teachers and mentors Damien and Deirdre were.

“I would really recommend Social Farming to all, it’s very good for you and very natural. Being outdoors is good for us and very healthy. I was delighted to attend and would love to continue going in the future,” said JoeAnn Kaupert, who spoke on behalf of the participants. 

Simon , a community mental health nurse, thanked Deirdre and Damien for the difference they’ve made to the participants’ lives. The benefits he saw included the development of self-esteem.

“Every week they would speak about the farm, always so positive about it..Their self esteem has definitely improved, they’ve learned great skills,” he said. 

He also spoke about social inclusion and how he saw this in action when Deirdre

attended events in St. Fintan’s Urban Farm that the participants had invited her to.

Minister Pippa Hackett rounded off contributions on the day and spoke about her first experience of Social Farming and the mutual benefits for the participants and the farmer. 

“It was just a really mind changing experience for me to see what it meant, not only for the participants, but also the host farmers, because it’s a symbiotic relationship,” she said. 

“We are seeing the green shoots of success here in the midlands. It’s wonderful, it’s enlightening. I’m going into the weekend now charged and buzzed and excited for the future of this,” said Minister Hackett. 

“My thanks to Helen Doherty, the National Social Farming Co-ordinator, for the invite today and to all those who make Social Farming a possibility. Should you wish to find out more information on opening your farm to social farming, or regarding a placement, please visit www.socialfarmingireland.ie”,  she added.

Social Farming offers a life-changing opportunity, for a lot of people, lives are improved and changed for the better. Ireland has wonderful rural assets of the farm and the farmers ready to be used to enhance the wellbeing of the community.

The Laois Open Day finished with a farm walk where participants were lining up to feed the donkeys and everyone got a real flavour of what a day on this farm might looks like. It's clear that everyone was left wanting more social farming, Social Farming Ireland are looking forward to the continued growth of social farming in Laois.

For more information call 071-9641772 or email socialfarming@ldco.ie . Check the website for more information and resources on the Social Farming Ireland Network https://www.socialfarmingireland.ie/