Hamlin Road Farm
When Pathways acquired the 10 acres of land and the funding to start Hamlin Road Farm, we approached the community for their involvement in shaping the farm’s direction. Staff and people who use Pathways’ services, as well as a real mix of families, business people and community members attended a public meeting in Papakura to talk about their ideas.
"We asked people how they wanted the land to be used and their ideas shaped our decision making. It’s the same approach we use in our every day work at Pathways – it’s about asking people what they want, what their hopes and aspirations are,” says Pathways Chief Executive Paul Ingle.
Towards the end of the meeting there was an array of ideas covering the walls and people were asked to vote for their favourites. The results were: free-range eggs, organic vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Hamlin Road Farm today
Today Hamlin Road Farm is busy bringing these ideas to life. The farm now has a free-range egg franchise, with thousands of chickens producing eggs for New Zealand and overseas export. We’ve gained organic certification and we’re well underway with the other areas.
As Hamlin Road Farm team explain aside from creating employment opportunities and several units of a sustainable business, Hamlin Road Farm has, most importantly, created another support choice to facilitate recovery. "Transitional employment adds a new dimension to the recovery journey. It supports people to create an identity as a worker and gain the skills and confidence to think about a job anywhere. Conversations revolve around egg production, mending fences, rainfall and growth of seedlings – not illness and medication"
Read about Judy Paine, Hamlin Road Farm co-ordinator
