Kerry Social Farming

Kerry Social Farming (KSF) is a rural development bottom-up initiative in Co. Kerry, aimed to support people who access health/social care services (participants), engage in ordinary farming and horticultural activities .Social Farming in Kerry is unique in Ireland in that farmers/horticulturalists and participants offer their time on a voluntary basis; this is reflective of the principle ethos of KSF, in that at its heart it is a social inclusion initiative. This project has mushroomed from its early beginnings  in 2013, driven by the lead partner South Kerry Development Partnership CLG, to encompass other voluntary/agency members in our very active working group. Originally supported by Social Inclusion and Activation Programme (SICAP) funding, since 2017, KSF has been supported by funding from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine. As testimony to the project, KSF won the overall Kerry Community Awards 2017, and are finalists National Pride of Place Award 2017.