THE first open day at Jamie’s Farm, Upper Redbrook, gave around 150 visitors a fascinating insight into the charity project which hosts groups of vulnerable young people from urban areas across the UK.

Several students from Aberdare Community College who had stayed at the farm returned to share their experiences, and therapeutic lead Beth Walker also gave visitors an insight into the project.

Farm tours offered children a chance to meet the animals, and there were several talks including one from Tish Feilden, who co-founded the Jamie’s Farm project with her son ten years ago.

There were also treasure hunts, a ‘Farm Olympics’ – with well-wanging, water-bombing and tug-of-war competitions – and demonstrations of greenwood carving.

“We’ve had overwhelming support from the local community ever since we opened and we’re really keen to get to know them even better,” said senior visit co-ordinator Tim Dickens. “They’re always interested in what we do and have generously donated all sorts of useful equipment like garden tools, and table lamps and pictures to make the farmhouse more homely.

“They’ve also come along to our volunteer work days, helping to build raised beds and pathways.

“Although our open day was a free event we collected around £500 from donations and even picked up half a dozen new volunteers who want to help out in the gardens and kitchen!”

Visitors were able to sample lamb kofta wraps made from meat produced on the farm, along with homegrown fruit and vegetables.

“It’s an important element of the project that the young people involved learn about the full circle of life in farming - including the fact that they are eating meat produced from livestock on the farm, which can be a tricky subject for some,” said Tim.

The farm at Upper Redbrook is run on a small scale and in a sustainable way that enhances the ecology of the neighbouring Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean.

Livestock includes a flock of Lleyn ewes and a smaller group of Suffolks, together with a small herd of Beef Shorthorns. As well as chickens and ducks, the farm has recently acquired two Welsh breeding pigs, some goats and a house Jersey cow called Hannah, with her calf.

There’s also a kitchen garden, which supplies the farm with fresh fruit and veg, and a small hillside woodland, which visiting young people help to manage for the site’s firewood and greenwood projects.

The project will soon be launching a fourth farm in Lewes on the South Coast to join those in Bath, Hereford and Monmouth.

“The need for what we do seems to be getting bigger and bigger,” said Tim.