Management of the development of non-agricultural small farm businesses towards care farms

Purpose: The aim of the study is to investigate Polish farmers’ interest in running a care farm, which could allow them to obtain additional funding. The main purpose of the study was to diagnose the knowledge and ideas of farmers about care farms. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis used secondary data from the Central Statistical Office and reports. A CATI survey was also conducted on a group of 500 farmers. Findings: Few respondents (12.8%) were interested in running a care farm, and only 30% of those who declared a willingness to expand their core business have rooms that they could allocate for the additional services. Over half of the respondents were inclined to allocate up to 20,000 PLN towards adjusting their facilities to the needs of elderly visitors. These farmers believed that seniors should be offered a range of activities, from walks to light farm labour. In addition, the respondents recognised the need to provide the elderly with medical consultations and rehabilitation services. Research limitations/implications: A small percentage of respondents interested in running a care farm may lack the knowledge about the new business. It is recommended to conduct research in a deliberately selected group of farmers – participants of workshops on care farms. Social implications: Economic activation through managing the non-agricultural functions of rural areas is a contemporary challenge for rural and agricultural development. Originality/value: This article presents research on social innovation in rural areas related to the development of standards of operation and management of the care farm model.