-PhotoR.png)
Writing a quarterly contribution for Wick News on behalf of Wick Care Farm has become an unexpected yet important point of reflection for me over the past few years. As is customary, I flick through my previous submissions for inspiration, and each serves as a portal to the recent past – bringing back the memories, themes and moments penned by a past-tense Jack.
Whatever the year, my Spring contribution always describes how smitten I am with our newly arrived lambs – and this year is no exception! As many of you will know, we adopt a small number of orphaned lambs every year to hand-rear. Their care provides us with a great sense of joy over the darker winter months, and I’m pleased to report that Gerald, Gertie, Gimli and Grace are taking their duties in milk-guzzling and field-prancing very seriously.
Hand-rearing lambs is not only a valued experience in itself, but also allows us to raise incredibly friendly and tame sheep with immense therapeutic value. As the care farming sector grows, so too does our understanding of this phenomena. A recent study in Germany showed that animal-assisted psychiatric interventions using sheep (alongside talk therapy) resulted in greater improvements than talk therapy alone. Having spent many a weekend hanging out with our resident therapy sheep, I can certainly attest to the joy they bring!
With another 12 lambs due at the end of March from our own flock of ewes, it’s fair to say that Spring is cautiously creeping into view. The days are a little longer… daffodils are on the cusp of emerging… and the little green shoots of young tomato plants are emerging in the propagator.
As I reflect on my time at Wick Care Farm and the familiarity of the changing seasons, it’s hard to believe that exactly 5 years ago I left my previous job. I couldn’t be more grateful for the path my life has taken since that day, and to the community of Wick Care Farm for becoming such a cornerstone of my life.
More broadly, it’s fair to say that community is the cornerstone of Wick Care Farm. As a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, it’s the supporters, volunteers and friends who have collectively shaped Wick Care Farm into the organisation it is today. With this in mind we’d like to announce the launch of ‘Friends of Wick Care Farm’ on Saturday 15th March 10am–12pm. Come along for tea, cake and a tour of the farm – and hear from our already well-established volunteer workforce about how they support with fundraising, client-facing days at the farm and our steering committee meetings. We’d love to see you there!
You can find out more about Wick Care Farm at:
Website: www.wickcarefarm.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wickcarefarm