A Care Farm is a farm with a bigger, or dual, purpose. Care Farms use the farm enviroment as a therapeutic base for promoting health, wellness, and overall quality of LIFE. The farm becomes Nature’s Classroom, Sanctuary, Community Center and Holistic Healing Center all wrapped up into one! Some Care Farms offer vocational training and opportunities to those with special needs. Others have a therapeutic, educational or recreational focus. Some are children-centric. Some are targeted toward recovery and healing. Many Care Farms follow a hybrid model, offering a variety of programs and services to a variety of populations and needs. The common thread for all though is that Nature Nurtures!

Care Farms have been popular in Europe, most notably in the Netherlands and the UK, for many years. Happily, they’re now gaining momentum here in the U.S.! One of the farms spearheading this growth is Red Wiggler Farm in Maryland. They’ve created the Care Farming Network, a Directory and Educational platform with a mission of growing the Care Farming initiative in North America. If you’re interested in learning more about Care Farms and Care Farming, consider visiting the Care Farming Network website. There, you’ll find loads of wonderful information they freely share.