Growing More Than Vegetables: How a Shropshire Farm Is Helping Young Adults Thrive

On a farm in Shropshire, growing vegetables is becoming about much more than putting food on the table.

The Rooted & Booted initiative, based at a 300-acre organic livestock farm north of Whitchurch, is giving young adults with learning disabilities the opportunity to take part in practical farm life — from planting seeds to preparing vegetables for local customers.

Created by David and Fiona Young, the project was inspired by their daughter Tara, who has severe learning disabilities and is a non-verbal communicator. Her experience helped the family recognise the value that meaningful, hands-on work can bring to young people with additional needs.

From seed to customer

One of the most powerful aspects of the project is its emphasis on taking part in the entire process.

Participants can become involved in growing vegetables from the earliest stages, caring for crops and eventually helping prepare produce for delivery. Rather than simply observing, they have the opportunity to contribute to something that has a clear purpose.

That sense of purpose can be hugely important.

Learning how to work as part of a team, follow routines, care for living things and complete practical tasks can all contribute to developing independence and confidence. On a farm, these lessons happen naturally as part of the working day.

The programme also adapts to the seasons. During the colder months, activities can include helping to look after livestock and taking part in conservation work around the farm.

As David Young puts it, there is rarely a dull moment — and no two days are necessarily the same.

A different kind of classroom

For many young people, learning does not have to happen behind a desk.

A working farm provides a constantly changing environment where skills can be developed through experience. Tasks can be practical, social and purposeful at the same time.

That can make agriculture particularly valuable for people who thrive through hands-on learning.

The Young family’s experience with Tara appears to have played an important role in shaping this philosophy. After beginning a hospitality course at college, she moved towards horticulture because of her enjoyment of life on the family farm.

Her story also prompted her parents to think carefully about what would happen after college — and how young adults with learning disabilities could continue to find meaningful opportunities as they moved into adulthood.

Farming with a wider purpose

Rooted & Booted is also part of a broader change taking place on farms.

Agriculture can be financially challenging, particularly for smaller farms facing rising costs and increasingly unpredictable weather. The Youngs say producing meat alone can be difficult, making diversification an important part of keeping the farm viable.

But their approach to diversification goes beyond simply finding another source of income.

The farm is being used as a place where different groups can benefit from spending time outdoors and taking part in meaningful activities. Alongside young adults with learning disabilities, the project welcomes schoolchildren and adults experiencing mental wellbeing difficulties.

A volunteer programme has also been established to support the vegetable-growing work. Volunteers can gain their own therapeutic benefits from spending time outdoors, while helping create an environment in which the young adults can participate.

Food, community and inclusion

There is something particularly fitting about a project that connects people with the food they help produce.

A box of freshly harvested vegetables represents more than the final product. Behind it are seeds planted, crops cared for, lessons learned and relationships built.

For participants, that connection can help demonstrate that their contribution matters.

For local customers, buying the produce provides a way to support a social enterprise rooted in the community.

And for the farm itself, diversification is helping create a future that combines agriculture with education, inclusion and wellbeing.

Looking beyond the farm gate

Projects such as Rooted & Booted raise an important question about how society supports young adults with learning disabilities after education.

Opportunities should not stop when a person leaves college. Meaningful work, social connection, independence and a sense of contribution remain important throughout adult life.

A farm cannot solve every challenge, of course. But it can provide something valuable: a welcoming environment where people can participate at their own level, learn through doing and see the tangible results of their efforts.

Sometimes, the most important harvest isn’t the vegetables.

It’s confidence, independence and a stronger sense of belonging.

This post is based on a BBC News report published on 8 September 2026 about the Rooted & Booted initiative in Shropshire.