How our farm activities link to character-building outcomes
Across farms worldwide, the daily tasks may look simple, but each one carries a significant purpose. At Solidarity Farm, we aim for these tasks to encourage purpose and value within each young person. Our activities give people the chance to connect with nature, work as a team, and gain confidence with hands-on and practical learning.
Here’s how each activity we offer carries its own lessons and shapes young people:
Animal Care
Taking care of animals involves monitoring their health, bedding them, and feeding and checking livestock. These responsibilities encourage empathy, patience and respect for the animals as well as communication, teamwork, and new skills in agriculture.
Farm Maintenance
Daily upkeeping of farms is demanding work. The responsibilities include repairing fences, clearing out farm areas, and transporting farm equipment. Each activity requires physical effort, practical problem solving, resilience, concentration and importantly planning of each activity.
Conservation Work
We pride ourselves in being an organic farm and have great respect for nature and the environment which we hope reflects onto our young people. We enjoy creating new habitats, surveying plants and animals, building bird boxes and planting trees. These activities encourage a sense of achievement as well as plenty of rewarding physical activity. Being active doesn’t just build strength and stamina, it also supports mental wellbeing. Conservation work offers the best of both — the wellbeing boost of movement and the calming benefits of connecting with nature.
Building Projects
Woodworking, landscaping, and creating new paths could quite literally create news pathways for young people. Academia is not for everyone and gaining practical skills like these could inspire different pathways for their future. Learning something new like these really strengthen concentration, creativity, and planning skills, whilst also working to improve the farm’s environment.
Ultimately, the farm is both a place of work and a place of growth. Through caring for animals, maintaining the land, and building together, young people uncover skills they didn’t know they had, develop confidence, and create memories.
