This Ayrshire farmer is really part of the local community
Thomson McKenzie is combining his passion for farming with his social work background to develop a community farm in the heart of Ayrshire.
Thomson who has 30 years experience in the social care sector having worked with young people and adults with support needs throughout his career.
He may not be from a farming family, but was brought up with a love of nature and wild places.
As a youngster he worked on farms at seasonal tasks as he grew up like potato picking, turnip shawing and haymaking.
In 1998 Thomson and Arlene took on their first smallholding in Ayrshire and moved to Nethergate a 47 acre holding in 2005.
It now runs a successful larder with the fresh produce bred and butchered on the farm.
But Thomson wanted to combine his passion for inclusion with the work he does at Nethergate.
He said: “Social farming has given a new focus and vehicle and is a great way to tackle exclusion and disengagement.
“We provide an environment where people who are, or in danger of becoming, excluded or disengaged from society can develop their abilities and once again play a role in society.
“The aim is to nurture everyone’s abilities and assist them in learning and preparing for life’s journey.
“The start is in a person centred achievement plan that builds on what the person can do, and would like to do rather than on what they cannot do.
“Support can be offered to meet individual needs, so some may work in groups of up to four people to one support worker or on a one-toone basis as required.
“It builds on ability rather than looking at limitations.”
The nature of the work undertaken at Nethergate means it is possible to introduce educational topics in an informal and natural way that gives relevance to the subject that promotes education as a life long journey.
There is a direct relevance to the activity being carried out to the outcome.
The community farm, set to open on March 29 will offer services to young people with support needs, those who have become excluded from school or society, to give them an opportunity to build their abilities to play as positive role as possible in society and re- engage with education.
Thomson added: “We do not see Nethergate as being an end in itself, but a stepping stone where people can develop at their pace and safely make mistakes.”