Greenslate Community Farm

Community farms are such a good thing! Whereas if you set foot on most commercial farms you are probably trespassing, startling animals or taking a risk in terms of health and safety, the whole purpose of community farms is to let everyone who wants get hands on.
Greenslate is probably the big daddy of community farms locally. It would seem a decent amount of funding has allowed them to quickly develop the site and the range of activities they offer.
I’ve visited Greenslate just the once for their Xmas Fair, and a what an impressive event it was. The scene was like Constable tableau redone for our times. The allotments, the market garden of field and polytunnel crops, the farm shop (all fruit & veg sold here is organic), stalls by local craftspeople, pigs, goat, chickens, outdoor pizza oven, a cauldron of beans cooking over an open fire. Homebaking and also hot food was available on the day — jacket potatoes with beans, vegan curry or goat curry — something for everyone, really!
Greenslate is a care farm, so you could perhaps ask to be referred here as a care client, but everyone is welcome to volunteer and lend a hand. I know one mum who brings her 4-​year old to the kids club, and she tells me her daughter loves it. Other friends have enjoyed the djembe African drum circle events in the tipi.
I’m interested in market gardening and cooking myself. I like the look of their winter polytunnel salads, which are cut to order so it really doesn’t come fresher! They also have an orchard of over 30 different varieties of fruit trees (apples, plums, pears, etc). Once that matures, that will be a fantastic educational resource to show at a glance how well various fruit tree varieties grow locally.
If you are looking to change the world, note that Greenslate is an organic permaculture farm, and central part of Billinge & Orrell Transition Town. Good to get involved!