Number of care farms continues to grow
Niels Keerman and Kathleen Cauchie, a young farmer’s couple from Oostkamp, have been taking in a care guest for six months. During the week, a 37-year-old man comes to help on their farm. “You don’t get much recognition from our products. No consumers come into our company. There is direct contact with the care guest. If it’s good, it’s good. We missed that interaction a bit,” says Niels Keerman.
West Flanders already has 200 care farms, and that number continues to grow. Every year fifteen to twenty new ones are added. The Green Care Support Center vzw plays a key role in the allocation of care guests in the network of care farms.
Coordinator Els Roelhof explains: “We receive 200 questions from facilities at the support center every year; supervisors who are looking for a specific care farmer for a care guest. Very shortly after we got to Niels’ screening, we thought this might be the match. We make the agreement and they can start.”
The province provides 45,000 euros every year to support care farms. This is an important addition to the regular healthcare institutions and facilities. “This is a very nice combination of a farm, animals and plants. And at the same time also take care of people who are vulnerable or have a disability. Find a home, find a place where they can come to themselves,” says Bart Naeyaert, deputy for agriculture.