Stonebridge City Farm is an urban farm in St Ann's, Nottingham, England. Founded in 1978, it occupies a three-acre site in an area of long-term regeneration. The farm stands on land originally earmarked for a school and its grounds, a plan that was never realised.
The farm has gardens, a café, a shop, a play area for children, toilets, handwashing facilities, and a barn. It is a registered charity,[1] hosts educational visits and work experience,[2][3] is run entirely on grants, donations, and sales through the cafe and shop. It has staff and over 150 volunteers per week.[4][5][6]
History
The St. Ann's area of Nottingham underwent a great deal of slum clearance starting in the 1960s and 1970s, making way for more modern council housing. Although much of the area was regenerated, a school that was planned for the site was cancelled, and the land became derelict. Urban farms had started to appear in the Netherlands and, in 1977, started to be discussed for this site. On 17 August 1978, a lease was signed, and a barn was erected in May 1980.[7]
Gardens
The farm has a number of areas of cultivation, from orchards and greenhouses to more formal gardens and wild spaces. Fruit and vegetables grown there are used in the on-site café or sold in the shop. Bees are also kept as pollinators and produce several hundred jars of honey.
Stonebridge City Farm and Gardens has won multiple awards, firstly winning the Civic Trust "Green Flag" award (a national standard for parks) in 2010.[8] The gardens won the Royal Horticultural Society in Bloom Bronze and Gold Medals.[9] In 2011, the gardens won the Outstanding award in the East Midlands Bloom Finals.[9]
In January 2020, local police donated confiscated equipment from drug crimes for use on the farm, including fertiliser, tools, and hardware.[10][11]
In 2022, the gardens won a Civic Trust "Green Flag" Community Award.[12]
Animals
Livestock
Several animals of many different sizes are kept. Although these change over time – the farm rescues unwanted animals – kunekune pigs, cows, goats, and sheep are usually to be seen in the paddocks around the farm. A large number of chickens, ducks, quails, and geese are kept, partly for the eggs they provide. There are also smaller animals such as guinea pigs and rabbits and an aviary of exotic birds, both of which may not be touched. [13][5][14][15][4]
Education
The farm encourages school visits so that urban children can learn about farm life.[16] It offers courses on beekeeping and gardening, placements for students studying animal-related courses, and supports people with special needs.[4][3] It has an education building with a purpose-built classroom. The farm hosts a work club for over-18s.[2]
↑Volunteering "NTU Catering regularly provide staff volunteers who visit Stonebridge Community Farm in Nottingham to help maintain the grounds and care for the free range animals." Nottingham Trent University. Retrieved 15 January 2020
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