Jubilee Farm in Northern Ireland. Photo: Brooke McAllister A Christian creation care organisation is setting up Northern Ireland’s first community-owned farm to promote the importance of environmental stewardship.
Established last year, Jubilee is a cooperative enterprise to practice and promote care farming, community-supported agriculture as well as conservation education and engagement in a manner which inspires change within local churches and communities to care for creation.
Since the beginning of 2018, the organisation has been active in teaching children about the importance of stewardship and organic farming.
“For the first six months of 2018, we were able to use a temporary site in the Co. Antrim port town of Larne. In that short space of time we achieved a great deal of exciting things. Over 100 volunteers attended one of our monthly community volunteer days. Almost 100 primary school-age children attended one of our curriculum-based nature education classes,” said Jonny Hanson of Jubilee.
He added that at a Festival of Science and Nature in June, the organisation welcomed more than 400 members of the public to participate in a 24-hour programme of “walks, talks and activities, with traditional music and a free-range hog roast thrown in for good measure”.
The organisation is now raising funds to purchase a community-owned farm to promote an organic agricultural system.
“We’re raising £300,000 to purchase a small farm outside Larne, where we can bring our ambitious plans for Jubilee Farm to fruition, with organic pigs, poultry, goats and vegetables, plus an internship programme, and even “glamping” in due course. Already, we’ve raised £165,000 from existing supporters to purchase the farmhouse,” Mr Hanson.
“Now, we need to raise £135,000 to buy the 13.5 acres of land, as well as polytunnels and other equipment, by Christmas. As a Community Benefit Society – a form of cooperative social enterprise – we’re raising this money via a community share offer, making this the first community-owned farm in Northern Ireland.”