Care Farming Network

Green Care Farms spreads roots

Published by University of Waterloo
on 01/31/2025

Waterloo alumni are expanding care for people living with dementia

By University Relations

Waterloo Magazine

Nestled between apple and cherry tree orchards on a half-acre of rural land between Milton and Guelph, Ont., Green Care Farms is ready for planting. Incorporated in 2021, Rebekah Churchyard (BA ’13, BSW ’14) launched Canada’s first care farm specifically for adults living with dementia, a disease that affects at least 750,000 Canadians today.

It was about thyme

While common in Europe, few care farms exist in Canada. The model can serve young people with intellectual differences, those living with mental health concerns, mental illness, addictions, and folks who need a bit of support to build skills and an opportunity to belong to a productive community.

“You can have horticulture care therapy elements in a program, but to have a care farm, it needs to be operational. You need the blue skies and the open fields. It’s part of the healing in the model,” Churchyard said.

For people with dementia, working in the fields with ample support has been shown to reduce cognitive decline, stress and agitation, loneliness and physical pain while improving mood, self-esteem, energy and functional independence.

“With my clients, actions speak louder than words.”

Rebekah Churchyard

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