A PIONEERING project on Royal Deeside has opened its gates to its first students, as Inclusive Farm Scotland celebrates the near- completion of its fully accessible 22-acre training farm at Tarland — a site transformed from bare ley ground into a working hub for disabled people pursuing careers in agriculture.
The farm is the creation of Mike Duxbury, who lost his sight at six years old but refused to let disability define his future. Now an animal-nutrition graduate and former Head of Diversity at Vodafone, Mike has devoted his life to helping disabled people break into farming — an industry he says is overlooking a “huge pool of talented, passionate people.”
“Don’t look at the disability, look at the person,” he told audiences at this year’s Turriff Show. “Agriculture is facing a massive workforce crisis, yet we’re ignoring people who are more than capable.”
Alongside his wife Ness, Mike previously founded the first Inclusive Farm in Bedfordshire. Their second site, Inclusive Farm Scotland at MacRobert (IFSAM), is now taking shape thanks to major fundraising and support from the MacRobert Trust.
Livestock has already arrived — from young cattle and sheep to a recently donated Suffolk tup lamb called Heck — while work on a purpose-built training livestock shed continues. The building, measuring 40ft by 105ft, was designed entirely by Mike using Lego bricks to visualise every pen, corridor and classroom.
“The builders love telling people they’re constructing a shed designed by a blind man,” Mike laughs. “It challenges everything people assume is impossible.”
The farm features a new horticulture zone with a polytunnel, accessible facilities, machinery and landscaped learning areas. Main contractor Rapid Project Development has supplied materials, hay, straw and hands-on support throughout the build.
Already, the impact is clear. Visitors from across the UK — and as far as the United States — have completed residential placements, gaining hands-on experience bottle-feeding lambs, herding cattle and using adaptive technology. One American student, unable to find a farm willing to offer her work experience at home because she is blind, spent a week at IFSAM before beginning her studies at Oxford University.
A 17-year-old currently on a 12-week residential placement arrived having never used a mobile phone. He is now confidently working with livestock, living independently and using adaptive tech to support everyday tasks. Local residents are also benefitting, with one long-term unemployed volunteer expected to move into a paid role.
“This is the whole point,” Mike says. “We’re not providing a care experience. We’re creating confident, employable people with real prospects.”
With bookings now open for day visits and residential programmes, Inclusive Farm Scotland is preparing to welcome even more students as its facilities reach full completion later this year.
More information and ways to support the farm can be found at: inclusive farmscotlandatmacrobert.org.uk
