Depden Care Farm near Bury St Edmunds recognised in Suffolk Greenest County Awards
A farm near Bury St Edmunds that supports adults with additional needs has been recognised in this year’s Suffolk Greenest County Awards.
Depden Care Farm, which provides learning programmes and work opportunities in agriculture and horticulture for adults with learning and physical disabilities, was named the winner in the small business category.
The judges said of the farm: “They ticked every possible box to win this award. It is run with the ethos of an organic farm but with incredible benefits for both the education and community aspects.
“The Care Farm also helps with biodiversity by growing unusual strains of vegetables and a wide range of trees in the orchard.
“They also have a well thought out and ambitious strategic plan to move forward over the next few years,” he added.
Tim Freathy, director of Depden Care Farm said: “We are completely thrilled at winning this award. Everyone does their bit on the farm to help project the environment.
“By raising awareness of and engagement with environment issues at all levels, we are reducing the carbon footprint of our farm and spreading that impact across the wider community.”
The Suffolk Greenest County Awards were presented on Wednesday March 8 at The Hold in Ipswich.
They were hosted by Mark Murphy from BBC Radio Suffolk, with guest speaker Christine Luxton, chief executive officer at Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s deputy leader, said: “With over 100 nominations for all our awards, and 2,200 votes cast for our Green Hero, there is so much energy and passion in Suffolk to care for our local environment. Huge congratulations to all our winners.”
Matt Hancock, who visited the site on March 10, said: "The work Depden Care Farm do is remarkable and the support they offer to some of the most vulnerable people in Suffolk is awe inspiring.
"Depden Care Farm is an amazing place and somewhere we should all be incredibly proud of."
Other winners included Sybil Andrews Academy, Still Good Food, based in Bury and Great Barton, and the Bury Bike Train.
