{"id":19209,"date":"2022-08-12T07:41:03","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T05:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=64376"},"modified":"2022-08-12T08:11:14","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T06:11:14","slug":"10-city-farms-to-visit-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/10-city-farms-to-visit-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"10 city farms to visit in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Sarah McPherson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 12 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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City farms offer people the chance to spend time outdoors while connecting with others from their local community. They also\u00a0create essential spaces for nature in urban landscapes. We\u2019ve selected ten to visit, all of which have great wildlife value as well as a variety of farm animals to meet and activities to try.<\/p>\n

\u2022 What are city farms and why are they important?<\/a><\/p>\n

Balsall Heath City Farm, Birmingham<\/h2>\n

A small city farm just south of Birmingham city centre, which opened in 1980 to support the local community in Balsall Heath. The farm started life with a few chickens and a couple of goats, but has grown with help from community volunteers. Wild visitors today include\u00a0foxes<\/a> and common garden birds<\/a>, and the farm is adding new hedgerows, bug hotels and\u00a0a pollinator bed to attract more wildlife.<\/p>\n

Check out the Balsall Heath City Farm page on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

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Foxes pop up regularly at Balsall Heath City Farm \u00a9 Getty\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Gorse Hill City Farm, Leicester<\/h2>\n

Established by 30 local people in 1985, these former allotments cover 20 acres in the west of the city. Today, the site hosts more than 100 farm animals and also has a wildlife garden<\/a> and pond. You can spot buzzards and sparrowhawks<\/a> there, and they\u2019ve seen a big increase in bees<\/a> and butterflies<\/a> thanks to nature-friendly planting.<\/p>\n

Visit gorsehillcityfarm.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

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City farms provide habitat for a variety of butterflies, including the comma \u00a9 Colin Varndell<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

St James City Farm, Gloucester<\/h2>\n

A short walk from the city centre, this city farm was established in 1998. It is home to rare-breed pigs and sheep and also hosts a successful riding school. Visitors can get involved in projects that range from growing vegetables to designing and building livestock housing, surrounded by sweet violets, grey wagtails<\/a> and comma butterflies.<\/p>\n

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