Gullivers Farm and Shop are part of the Camphill Community Sturts Farm at West Moors, Ferndown, near Bournemouth. The Farm Shop was opened in October 2015 and received financial support in the form of a £20,000 loan from The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland.
Gullivers Farm Shop offers a range of quality fresh, chilled and frozen produce together with a deli counter and café. It provides meaningful activities and work opportunities for adults who have a learning disability or other support needs. It sells a range of products including Sturts Farm produce, from fresh fruit and vegetables grown on the community’s own organic/biodynamic farm, to meat, cheeses, pickles, preserves, cakes, pizzas, chilis and many other delicious things. At the deli counter the general public can find delicious, cooked meats, local cheeses, cakes and other treats. Where possible all produce is sourced from local suppliers, so many of the producers are from Dorset and Hampshire, keeping it fresh and keeping it local. The shop also serves artisan coffee and a selection of speciality loose teas at its ‘coffee corner’, along with freshly baked cakes and pastries.
For many years the only farm shop belonging to Sturts Farm was within the community and only accessible to a limited circle of residents and local people who were connected to the place in some way. Acquiring Gullivers Farm and opening the new Farm Shop has been a huge step forward in the development of the community which has made a big difference to many people’s lives. It is like a ‘window on the world’ for Sturts Farm community members, bringing them into closer regular contact with the general public, both local residents and those passing through on the busy road. It provides a warm, lively, and attractive social centre around which lots of new activities can happen and new relationships and partnerships develop.
The success of Gullivers Farm Shop has greatly helped to enhance the levels of outreach and integration for Sturts Farm community members, complementing the rich social, cultural and working life of the community and bringing a breath of fresh air!
Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland is proud to have supported and be associated with such a thriving and innovative project which has gone from strength to strength. The farm shop is an important venue in the locality and a focal point of interaction between our companions and the public.
For further information, please visit gulliversfarmshop.co.uk for further information.