Social Farming Ireland is this year celebrating 10 years of the national network. Its annual conference will take place on April 24 at The Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co Laois.

The conference will be officially opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, Martin Heydon. It will bring together supporters of social farming from across the country to share experiences and celebrate a decade of the network’s work and and it will look at the impacts, outcomes and the future of social farming.

You can click this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/social-farming-ireland-national-conference-2026-tickets-1984957145255?aff=oddtdtcreator

Over the past decade, the network has grown from seven social farms in 2017 to 159 today. Last year, its social farmers provided more than 10,300 placement days, supporting participants across a wide range of health, social care, and community settings.

Last year, SFI was awarded a tender worth €900,000 over four years to expand on its work.

“This recognition reflects our long-standing commitment to supporting social farming and we look forward to continuing to grow the network, building meaningful opportunities, and supporting inclusion and wellbeing across Ireland,” it said at the time.

SFI’s funding had remained the same since 2016 while the project had grown exponentially, but now it has been able to take on new staff.

“With this increased level of funding we have brought on board four new team members who will help us to enhance and develop the Network further. We now have two development managers – one North and one South who will be developing the commissioning of placements, a new regional co-ordinator in the South and a new finance administrator to support the National team. We are excited as we now look forward to taking the Social Farming Ireland Network to the next level,” it said.

SFI is based in Drumshanbo. Co. Leitrim and is led by Leitrim Development Company. It is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Of interest, SFI is currently involved in an Erasmus project to explore how social farming and organic gardening can support social integration, wellbeing and empowerment for people with diverse abilities and backgrounds.

For more information visit:
socialfarmingireland.ie/