Built by Mike Duxbury, totally blind since the age of 6. Working with his partner Ness Shillito to plan and create the only working farm to be built by a blind person.
Mike worked on the family farm, which produced milk, beef, lamb, eggs, potatoes, barley, wheat and apples for about twenty years. This involved all aspects of running a working farm. He also managed his own pig unit including a pig stud farm and worked as an animal nutritionist for over thirty years in the pig industry.
The Farm is in the village of Steppingley, Bedfordshire. Taking the one-acre plot from a ragwort riddled bare field, Mike began creating his own farm, using his knowledge and experience. Using tools and his inner vision, Mike built the pens, shelters and barn. This self-funded initiative has been carefully planned by Mike to enable people with visual impairment to navigate their position on the farm from any given point. Gates have been carefully chosen to allow all to access the pens, including wheelchair users. The layout of the troughs and drinkers are placed so that those who are not confident with entering the pens can still feed and water the animals. All feed bins have been labelled with pictures to ensure that those who require different indicators are also included.
Both Mike and Ness have an interest in encouraging and empowering people with disability and difference to achieve a career in agriculture. Inclusive Farm CIC has been achieving its goals since its opening in 2021. Rearing a range of animals including pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs and even cows, the students gain valuable agricultural experience while enhancing team building and life skills along the way.
Taking the first steps to working with animals is learning about them and how to act around them, we feel that is very important to spend time with the animals and interact with them, getting used to handling them, while learning to recognise the sounds and smells that they make.
A variety of animals are on the farm to ensure a wide range of tasks can be demonstrated and tried, optimising opportunity and choice for those with disabilities and difference to find their way whilst expanding and enhancing their own skill set. In addition, the farm provides an insight into food production, animal welfare and eating healthily and supports making informed choices about their own lifestyle.
Working on the farm encourages teamwork, communication and learning new skills that some people don’t think that they will have the opportunity to do. This improves mental health and a sense of well-being all valuable experience when looking for meaningful training and employment opportunities.
