Therapeutic Activities at High Mead Farm in Ferndown, Dorset

High Mead Farm's Therapeutic Activities

Sowing seeds
Woodwork
Sheep Care
Rabbit and guinea pig cuddles
Mucking Out
Weaving
Goat Herding

Wood Chopping
Supervised camp outs
Day trips
Feeding Animals
Simple Mechanics – deconstruction
Animal husbandry
Gardening
Harvest and water vegetables
Bee keeping

Arts & Crafts
Egg Collection
Blacksmithing
Wood lathe
Construction work
Games
Painting & decorating
Scrap wood recycling
Poo picking

Therapeutic Activities Gallery

Arts & Crafts

High Mead Farm is developing a broad range of crafts.

You can enjoy the old art of weaving on a loom with our in-house weaver, Sara, to make your own scarves, mats and wall hangings.

We are also in the final stages of creating a new art & craft workshop where you’ll have the chance to explore painting, gluing, sticking, felting and everything that can be moulded by your imagination. We hope to have sewing machine work stations, knitting, basket weaving in the New Year… the possibilities are endless.

If you have a particular craft talent and are willing to lead a class please do let us know.

Horticulture

Come to the farm and experience yourself the tranquil and calming of gardening.

Working with a dedicated team to grow luscious veg and fruit all year round. We have a large outdoor veggie patch for our potatoes, squash, onions and the odd flower. We also have a sensory garden required upkeep and care.

In our Poly tunnels we grow the more exotic plants like tomatoes, peppers, capsicums, cucumbers and may in the future try a mango or peanut tree. Tasks vary throughout the year, starting with ground prep, sowing, planting, care, harvesting and then there is the continued upkeep of structures and fencing.

The satisfaction and joy gained from growing, tending harvesting then eating is priceless, resulting in a holistic/organic cycle of life/season thing. We are starting a mini allotment scheme for co-farmers so they can experience this phenomenon.

We have space and resources to work as a whole farm on a gardening project which reinforces the team/farm spirit alongside feeling that we are all working together and many many laughs on the way. The life skills attained include caring for plants, food, care and maintenance, basic wood work/repair.

Mechanical

We can offer the chance to practice, learn and experiment in our new mechanical workshop. Under the guidance of our dedicated & very experienced team you can get involved in…

Farm Machinery Servicing – involves topping up fluids, cleaning filters, changing parts, tuning and lots more on our mini tractors, mowers, strimmers and chippers. The internal combustion engine is a marvellous invention and understanding it lets us learn the mechanics and principles of a world changing machine. We also have to maintain all our hand tools on the farm which are just as important. The farm’s bicycles and wheelbarrows have to be constantly maintained… never ending punctures!

Building Construction

Come and help us convert our 1950’s farm building to a functioning centre for the community. We have had so much help over the last four years and we still have a lot to do. At the moment we are building a hand wash station with washing grill and tiled roof & converting a brick bay into a enclosed craft room. We have shops to build and wells to dig, windmills to erect and goats houses to put up. Multiple skills can be gained in the construction team including plumbing, brickwork, woodwork, foundation work, drainage, roofing and more. An important part of construction on the farm is team work and of course the occasional full English breakfast before starting!

Woodwork

Carpentry

In the carpentry workshop we have the facilities and skilled staff to aid you in wood carving including house & door signs, construction including toys, models and wildlife/ garden structures and wood turning. We also make lots of things for the farm like pig troughs, chicken perches and boot racks to name a few. The team maintain all the fencing , sheds and animal houses on the farm especially the sows house that is made from old doors!

Green Woodworking Bay

In the green woodworking bay spend a hour making a gypsy flower, a milking stool or a hurdle. Split logs with handmade mallets or try using our special kindle maker to make kindling to be sold in our farm shop . Along with tool handling and coordination, skills are learnt in weighing up , packaging and selling . The team also maintains the farms hedges as the goats cannot reach the top branches … we are working on a movable raised goat platform!

As permitted we are also allowed to use a local woodland where we can coppice, collect wood and play.

Reclaiming Wood

The last part of our woodwork is the sorting & de-nailing of all the wood that is donated to us. Very popular on the farm with great skills to be gained using hand tools and of course the magnet pendulum sweeping thing for picking up all the nails.

Saturday Club

We run a weekly Saturday Club for under 18’s.

with focus is on;

Animal care – feeding, watering, egg collecting, poo picking, mucking out and general animal husbandry

Woodworking (morning session) – building a variety of items, from Bird tables, boxes, squirrel benches and lots more. All of this with mostly reclaimed wood and to either use on the farm, or take home.

Cooking (morning session) – learning a life skill from an early age, making cakes, biscuits, amongst lots of other delicious meals and treats

Working as a team in undertaking these activities.

The club runs from 9-3:30 every Saturday and you can attend for either a whole day, or for half a day either 9-12 or 12:30-3:30,

Whole Day 9-3:30 £32

1/2 Day 9-12 or 12:30-3:30 £16

Please pay on arrival (card or cash) you can attend ad-hoc, or regularly. Prior to first visit please email or deliver a completed application form to the office info@highmeadfarm.org.uk,

Please arrange to book in for a show around to see what goes on, and see if this it suitable for your child.

Spring Fayre 25th May 2024

Therapeutic Activities at High Mead Farm