NI Farming Awards: Farm Diversification Award goes to Annagh Social Farm CIC

It clinched the Farm Diversification Award at the NI Farming Awards 2024 which were held in Belfast on October 9.

As the parents of two young boys with Autism and learning disabilities, Simon and Jennifer Bullock were conscious that they were on a different path with different aims than other farming families.

In partnership with the local Health Trust, they created a day opportunity programme on the farm in Aughnacloy, from August 2011.

Then their farm at Derrylin was selected as a pilot farm in the Social Farming Across Borders (SoFAB) project in 2013. They have continued to provide learning opportunities through social farm activities.

Annagh Social Farm CIC was established as a community interest company in 2016 to provide supported living options and learning opportunities for young adults with learning disabilities. They host six participants with learning disabilities on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays who have the opportunity to participate in the day-to-day tasks involved on a family farm.

The Bullocks make use of all the assets on the farm; splitting the ground into work zones, allowing people to move around areas to keep the attention of the participants.​

Following an annual review, one parent wrote: “One cannot help but be enthused by what’s happening at Annagh Social Farm. The range of activities is extensive, but more impressive has been the progress in the acquisition of new skills and experiences. The combination of caring for, and working with, living animals along with practical ‘hands on’ craft work and leisure activities makes for a truly bespoke package.”.