Gospodarstwo społeczne niestronno

IDENTIFICATION OF THE CASE STUDY

Case study number: PL-02

Name of the farm/organization:

Gospodarstwo Społeczne Niestronno / Social Farm Niestronno

Title of the case study:  

Traditional, multi-generational farm

MAIN DATA

Country

Poland         

Year of establishment

2013

Target groups

• Disabled people                                                        
• Elderly people

Type of farm

 Pig, dairy cattle and poultry farming

Size (in hectares)

 15 ha

Numbers of employees from target groups

0

Number of members from target groups using services without employment

Small groups of 3-5 people each come for 6 months

Sources they live from

Selling their products

Innovative / not innovative

Not innovative

Website

www.opieka.kpodr.pl/pl/gospodarstwo-opiekuncze-niestronno

DESCRIPTION

The farm is located 800 meters from the center of the village, surrounded by meadows and forests. It is a small-scale farm raising pigs, dairy cattle and poultry and has been led for years by Mrs. Anna Mataczyńska and her mother.

The farm provides day care on weekdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A caregiver, assisted by a volunteer, takes care of a group of five residents. The farm welcomes people with physical disabilities, who move around on crutches and balconies, as well as people with food allergies and those who require a specialized diet due to illness, such as diabetes, celiac disease.

There are a variety of activities on the farm. Organized physical activity has a positive effect on the physical fitness of patients. Fixed equipment available in winter:

stationary bicycles, rotors, massage balls, etc., and on warmer days one can spend time outdoors, walking, hiking or doing gymnastics appropriate to one's condition (Nordic-walking on perches).

 As part of the farm's activities, interested parties can care for dogs, tend the garden, harvest fruits and vegetables, and tend flowers. To foster and develop social relationships and activities, students have the opportunity to participate in intergenerational meetings, team games and activities, handicraft activities, and reading books and newspapers together. Culinary workshops are also organized using local agricultural resources, with the support of professionals (such as sausage smoking). Additional courses are also organized in cooperation with the Rural Women's Club.

POSITIVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

The care farm is mainly run by two people. Anna Mataczynska has cared for several elderly neighbors for many years, keeping them company and helping them with daily tasks. This motivated her to provide this type of support on a wider scale and thus help more people in the neighborhood and beyond.

The second person is Mrs. Barbara Durczak, Ania's mother, whom everyone calls grandmother. Mrs. Basia is a very hard-working person, full of enthusiasm and energy. She spent her entire life on a farm, where she helped with farming, animal husbandry and taking care of the house. From an early age, she met and cared for the elderly and sick - including those lying down - at home.

Those experiences gave them a lot of positive sensations and a great satisfaction. Many times they had the feeling, that the persons they cared for, helped them more, than they were helping those persons. That is because they received a different perspective on life from people who lived a rich life and had many positive and negative experience. Therefore they all decided to continue helping the elderly because it is such a win-win situation for all included people.

OBSTACLES AND HOW TO OVERCOME

In the beginning, the desire was great to help more people, but as with any new beginning, the risk is always there and there is a fear of taking on more responsibility and of taking such a decision and risk. The main concerns were about formal issues, clerical issues, bureaucracy, etc. but the motivation to help was greater in the end and overcame this fear.

A lot was also helped by the "Green Care" initiative, which contributed a lot to the development of such farms as Ms. Ania runs. With good intentions and with a good support system of relatives, everything was possible.

RECOMMENDATIONS, ADVICE

Ms. Ania gives the following advice to other farmers: “Definitely an important aspect is to have someone trusted by your side, with whom you can push such an initiative further and develop it with joint forces.” In her experience, a person alone can't handle certain burdens so you need to stick to people who are just as willing to lend a helping hand when needed. According to all the workers of the Niestronno farm there is a lot of work in running such a farm, but with good organization and division of tasks everything becomes possible.

Another advice was, that it helps a lot to get in touch with people who are doing the same thing. There aren't a lot of care farms in Poland yet, but fortunately a few have developed in the vicinity of Ms. Ania's farm.

“People with the same experience and who may have gone through the same difficulties can help a lot. Mutual support is very important here.” said the owner of the farm, Ms. Ania.

PROMO

Mrs. Ania’s farm, like many other social farms, is advertised on the official website of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Agricultural Advisory Center. The key to promoting the farm is transparent information about its activities and offerings, which is easily accessible on the Internet. It is very easy to find information about the care farm in Niestronno via the Internet. However, a more effective method of promotion, especially given the age and digital skills of the target group, is to reach them by word of mouth. People often come to the farm having heard about the place from someone who has already been there and recommended it, or having heard about it themselves in rural areas.

The most practices selling method is also a private one where people come and visit the farm. There they have the possibility of buying the vegetables or other farm products as well as the results of the handcraft work of the attendants of the social activities.

FINAL SENTENCES

In the next 5-10 years, Mrs. Ania would like to promote her farm more to reach more people, as well as expand the business and hire more people to help her continue to run the business and lighten her load a bit. With every new person that comes her way also comes new development ideas and new opportunities as the Polish proverb goes, "Every two heads is not one."