Ellis, 18, still has to follow instructions on his apprenticeship at Future Roots, a care farm in Dorset, but he’s free from the static confines of a classroom and has 30 acres to mess about in. Plumley, 57, had the idea for Future Roots in 2008 after working with troubled children as a social worker. “And I was like: ‘God, the farm can teach you something that you might enjoy’.”There are about 250 care farms operating in the UK. Future Roots, like other care farms, has a range of programmes that cater to people with learning difficulties, mental health issues and physical disabilities. 70% of Future Root’s funding comes from local authorities and the schools who send their students to the farm.

Source: The Guardian September 12, 2020 06:22 UTC