THISTLE DOO FARM

Thistle Doo Farm is an off-grid farm informed by permaculture and sustainable farming practices. It is owned and run by James Campbell. James is a children's writer, storyteller and educator.

Permaculture is the practice of growing food and living in a sustainable way. In all areas we try be aware of three main principles: earth care, people care and fair share. Earth Care reminds us make sure all our actions and processes are environmentally friendly and sustainable. People Care helps us remember to look after everyone involved and give them a voice and a purpose. Fair Share is about sharing surpluses with the community. This approach informs everything we do at Thistle Doo Farm.

Thistle Doo Farm was initiated three years ago as a place to grow perennial foods and fruit trees. It has recently added a plant nursery to provide plants for schools and other settings with food forest plants. James is one third of the East Anglia Permaculture Association which is currently creating food forests in five Essex primary schools. Thistle Doo Farm is a place for children to visit and experience ways to grow free food and save the planet while they are doing so. Thistle Doo Farm has a particular affinity with neurodiversity and young people with special needs.

A small group of children visit Thistle Doo farm once a week. In the future, however, this could be extended to more groups, either concurrently or on a different day. Market Field have exclusive access to the farm and its facilities. There are no other school trips happening at the same time.

In general terms, Thistle Doo Farm provides an exciting and inspiring outdoor environment in which young people can feel relaxed and benefit from being in the open air. The young people will be genuinely involved in the development of the farm and its facilities. Thistle Doo Farm designs and lead activities throughout the course of the visits. These are a mixture of learning activities; maintenance activities and project commissions.

Learning activities include:

Drawing and painting; Creating sculptures; and Creative Writing

There are also useful maintenance jobs to be done:

Planting seeds and trees; Watering plants and trees; Mulching with woodchip; Chopping up firewood; Lighting a fire and keeping it going; Cooking on an open fire; Making fences; Harvesting fruit and other food.

Project-based Commissions are activities are co-created with the young people visiting. It is the belief that young people respond much better when the activities have a purpose relevant to them and their experience. The project based activities fall within the overarching commission which helps to create a place where other school trips can visit and activities can happen.

The children’s first commission was to create facilities to make it comfortable and effective for those already visiting from Marketfield. Once this is in place the next project was to prepare the site for the launch party of James Campbell’s next book.

Project-based activities included:

Creating a base for everyone to keep their stuff. Designing and fabricating a gong to tell everyone when an activity is ending or it is lunchtime. Designing and creating a covered area around the fire pit. Preparing a piece of ground for a marquee. Creating signs so that visitors know where everything is. Recording and celebrating achievements.

A typical day at Thistle Doo Farm

Visiting young people will be divided into three groups.

10:00 - 10:30 - Settling in by the fire. Having a cup of tea and a biscuit. Thistle Doo Farm staff will check the mood and explain the shape of the day.

10:30 - 11:15: Activity One

11:15 – 12.00: Activity Two

12:00 - 13:00: Lunch and Free Play

13:00 - 13:45: Activity Three

13:45 - 14:00: Tidying up and preparing to leave.

On each day Thistle Doo Farm provides three activities which the young people will engage with on a rotation basis. If anyone, however, is better suited to avoiding one particular activity or would like to do the same one all day, that is accommodated. There is also, always be the option of hanging out by the fire and playing with a huge box of Lego.

All three activities will be learning opportunities. Market Field staff are present to extend the activities at Thistle Doo Farm to fit in with and inspire the current curriculum for the young people. Building a fence, for example, would involve maths, physics, woodworking. And could inspire creative writing, art and RSHE.

Overall, Thistle Doo Farm provides an inspiring place for young people of all abilities and inclinations to learn about growing food in a sustainable way; follow their instincts and interests through meaningful learning; and engage with nature in a low pressure way.