Herefordshire farm creates opportunities for learning and revitalisation (From Hereford Times)

Herefordshire farm creates opportunities for learning and revitalisation

2:40pm Friday 12th June 2009 in

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“GROWING People’s Future” is a term widely used on Coppice Farm in St Weonards.

The 200-acre site houses 400 sheep and 100 beef cattle, and has 50 acres devoted to growing wheat and barley.

But that is where the comparison with other Herefordshire farms ends.

For Coppice Farm harvests learning and revitalisation.

One passion of mine is farming and I also love working with people

Adam Evans

“We work with a host of people from persistent offenders to kids in care and schoolchildren,” said Adam Evans, who founded the SHIFT (Social Healing for Integrated Farming Therapy) UK scheme two years ago.

“One passion of mine is farming and I also love working with people.

“We don’t hide behind anything and give everyone coming to the farm their own responsibilities such as tractor driving or sheep shearing.”

The offenders that arrive at the farm are referred by the police and probation services in Herefordshire in the hope they can be better prepared to integrate into society following their time at St Weonards.

The project also helps youngsters on the verge of exclusion.

“They are not in a classroom environment but in the open with their own responsibilities,” added 30-year-old Adam, who lives on the farm.

“It’s a win-win situation and is so rewarding.

“The police and probation service have been absolutely brilliant and very supportive.

“Our catchphrase is ‘Growing People’s Future’. I’ve been treated so well by those coming here and learned a lot from it.”

Adam says the farm regularly welcomes school parties on days when the offenders are not working there.

He enjoys the job so much that he calls himself the “luckiest person in the world”, and knows exactly who to thank.

“My wife Sarah has been my biggest support; she really is the backbone of the project and I’m the showman at the front.” he says. “She supports me so well.”

Sarah, who grew up in Ewyas Harold, said the idea stemmed from Adam’s farming background.

“This farm has been in his family for three generations,” she said.

“A short while ago he did some youth work with young and vulnerable people. He was a natural and the idea to bring them onto the farm just spiralled from there.”

The John Kyrle High School teacher said she hoped to welcome pupils from her school, and those around the county, to the farm in the coming months.

And the duo’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Last summer, during the Three Counties Agricultural Show in Malvern, the SHIFT project won the Bear Pit challenge – a Dragon’s Den-style initiative for county firms.

And Adam believes more farms should unearth similar projects which help support the community.

“Herefordshire is one of the most rural counties in the country and it seems silly not to use a farm project as a community idea.

“It’s certainly something that should be developed.”

For further details on the SHIFT project, visit carefarm.co.uk.