Care farming in the UK: Contexts, benefits and links with therapeutic communities

There is increasing evidence for the positive role of nature in human health, particularly in the light of the increase in sedentary lifestyles and the emergence of growing health concerns over obesity, coronary heart disease (CHD) and mental illness. This paper addresses the links between contact with nature and improved health and wellbeing, introduces the concept of various green care approaches and examines the links between care farming and therapeutic communities. Two studies* outlining care farming in the UK are described. The first is a scoping exercise to discover the current extent and diversity of care farming in the UK, in order to form baseline data on which to build future research needs and to help support care farmers. The second study is an in-depth analysis of clients from different types of care farm, and provides empirical data on psychological health and wellbeing outcomes. The aim of this study is to help build up a body of robust scientific evidence to inform health and social care providers (amongst others) of the benefits of time spent on a care farm. We conclude by setting care farming in a wider context by looking at the potential impact that an expansion of care farming could have on emergent health and social issues and policy in the UK. © The Author(s).