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Appalachian Trail

Butterlope Farm

A short distance from the IAT Ulster-Ireland route, Butterlope Farm is a haven to wildlife, farm animals and pets alike.

Provider Butterlope Farm
About the Experience 

 

 Butterlope Farm is located 2 miles from the village of Plumbridge in the beautiful Glenelly Valley at the heart of the Sperrins.  The farm is owned and managed by Annie and Vincent Mullan. It is mainly a hill sheep farm with a variety of breeds but they also have calves, laying hens and the sheep dogs.   A kitchen garden and large polytunnel allows a large variety of vegetables to be grown for the family and farm helpers .

A Community Interest Company based on the farm aims to bring visitors closer to nature while learning about farming, the countryside and improving their own health and well-being. In order to achieve this a number of programmes are based on the farm including;

Social Farming

As a Social Farm we provide an alternative to those in need of social care. This may be adults with additional learning needs or people recovering or experiencing mental health problems.

  • Participants work alongside us to take care of all the animals, manage the land, grow and tend to vegetables and learn about the wildlife of this beautiful upland area.
  • Working on the farm brings many benefits such as improved physical and mental health as well as developing participants confidence in a work and social environment.
  • Participants can also benefit from achieving accredited LANTRA qualifications while on the farm.

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Price 

 

 Price upon request
How to Book 

 

 Telephone: 0784 019 4792
Email: info@butterlopefarm.co.uk
What to Bring 

 
  • Walking shoes or wellies

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Tour Includes
  • Butterlope Farm hosts schools, playgroups and other community groups on visits tailored to their needs.

    Activities include:

    • Learning and experiencing farming in the uplands, through interaction with the animals and having a go at farming tasks.
    • History of farming and the landscape through a study of old farm homesteads, lazybeds, drystonewalls and other historical features.
    • Biodiversity through the study of farm habitats including hedgerows, wildflower verges, streams, peatlands and heath.
    • Gardening through hands on learning in the garden and polytunnel.
    • Foraging for hedgerow plants.

    All topics include the links to health and well being and our impact on the environment.
Suitability The focus of the project is to use Social Farming to enable people with disabilities to achieve their aspirations and play a fuller role in society by undertaking training on the Social Farms and through RAPID which is a LANTRA training centre.  The activities offered by this project will be ‘person centred’ and will be tailored to individual needs.  Social Farming has been shown to offer people with a disability the opportunity to engage and contribute by choice in farming, training and social activities.  This is offered through the medium of ordinary farms acting in partnership with services and those who avail of supports.  It provides disadvantaged groups of people with an opportunity for inclusion, to increase their self esteem and to improve health and well-being.
Exclusions Not applicable