Last updated: October 2024
St. Anne's Urban Farm and Ecology Center, nestled within Dublin’s historic St. Anne’s Park and surrounded by the suburban neighborhoods of Dublin 3 and 5, is a unique not-for-profit initiative dedicated to community engagement, environmental awareness, and sustainable urban agriculture. Established in 2019, this farm is the first urban farm within Dublin City Council’s boundaries and aims to reach even more people, believing that every child and adult should have access to a garden space and that everyone in the garden is equal. Run by a team of over 20 dedicated community volunteers, the farm provides hands-on educational experiences for visitors of all ages and a safe, open space for sharing knowledge and learning from others. Featuring traditional Irish farm animals, such as heritage breeds of chickens, pigs, and goats, alongside native plants grown from heirloom seeds, the farm preserves Ireland’s agricultural heritage while promoting biodiversity and sustainable practices. With a goal of becoming 75% self-sustaining, the farm is working toward off-grid solutions through solar power and eco-friendly techniques. St. Anne’s Urban Farm empowers local residents with its community allotments and self-management model, which foster greater control and pride in maintaining the shared space. Aligned with Dublin’s Climate Change Action Plan, the farm aspires to improve the quality of life within the city by promoting healthy neighborhoods and sustainable communities. Through this green space, St. Anne’s Urban Farm encourages social and environmental engagement, aiming to ensure that gardens and green spaces remain accessible, welcoming, and educational for generations to come. The initiative is supported by a €50,000 donation from Google and is designed to serve as a community resource rather than a traditional petting farm. (1-6)
St. Anne's City Farm & Ecology Centre
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Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
- Other
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of historic traditions
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Agriculture/ crop production
- Rapid urbanization
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
- Mental health issues (stress, anxiety)
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Disconnection from nature
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities
Project objectives
To involve, educate and provide interactions for young people in the Dublin urban area, equipping them with the skills needed to manage a farm or small plot of land to grow food and raise animals organically.
To provide training to the surrounding community, empowering individuals to enrich their spaces with sustainable food and environmental practices, fostering behaviors for climate adaptation and mitigation in public education, land use and management, nature restoration, and protection.
To serve as a collaborative platform for local community groups and organizations, encouraging partnerships and shared goals.
To inspire a transition in the Dublin region from chemically intensive food production to locally sourced organic vegetables and fruit.
To preserve Ireland’s agricultural heritage by promoting native plants and the cultivation of heirloom seeds (plant varieties that have been passed down through generations, typically grown for their resilience, unique traits, and adaptability to local environments).
To align with Dublin's Climate Change Action Plan, enabling local communities to participate in governance and decision-making processes related to sustainability. (1-6)
Implementation activities
The farm was implemented as a result of many submissions to the Dublin Climate Change Action Plan public consultation that recommended promoting community initiatives around local food production. In 2019 the farm was opened. Run by volunteers set within the boundaries of a busy city park, ‘St. Annes City Farm’ is home to 2 pigs, 9 chickens, 3 goats, a guinea pig, and Moses the pony. It is also the site of raised beds, a herb garden and a wooden cabin. They promote holistic education with a program that includes mindfulness, animal therapy and nurturing the whole child, helping children to connect with nature. The farm has weekly tours & classes. As they develop further, they will serve healthy food and drink onsite, expand their educational program and host cultural events. They also will develop their site as a showcase for how to thrive as a farm off the grid, using renewable energy sources and water conserving technologies. The farm is committed to sustainability, aiming to become 75% sustainable and off-grid using solar panels within five years. Volunteers participate in various activities such as mucking out stables, caring for free-range animals, and planting, thereby fostering a sense of community and encouraging hands-on learning. Enhanced protective measures, such as improved fencing, have been implemented to ensure the safety of the farm's free-range animals from predators. (1, 2, 5, 6)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase the use of or more efficient agroforestry practices (e.g. soil moisture, reduce evaporation) or drought-resistant species for agriculture
- Reducing socio-economic vulnerability to climate impacts (e.g. awareness raising)
Climate change mitigation:
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore native species
- Restore ecological connectivity
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The farm was established in a partnership between the Dublin City Council and the local community as a response to local consultations as part of the Dublin Climate Change Action Plan. The farm operates on a not-for-profit basis and is managed by 20 volunteers. The farm a received a €50,000 donation from Google. Managed entirely by local volunteers, the farm offers educational programs, public engagement events, and a collaborative platform for environmental and social initiatives. The farm is licensed through an agreement by the Dublin City Council that permits the organization to conduct educational programs, host community events, manage designated land for urban agriculture, and engage in volunteer-led activities focused on sustainability and ecological awareness (6, 8).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Dublin Climate Change Action Plan (6))
Type of enablers
NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
- Other
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Expected improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Expected increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Expected promotion of cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Expected protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Expected increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Dublin City Council (2019). City Farm. Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Dublin City Council Dublin Climate Change Action Plan . Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Access Europe (n.d.). St. Anne's City Farm & Ecology Centre. Access Europe, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Boardmatch (n.d.). St Anne's City Farm and Ecology Centre. Boardmatch, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Impact Challenge (n.d.). St. Anne's City Farm & Ecology Centre. Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
6.
O'Sullivan, K. (2019). Dublin City Council’s first urban farm opens at St Anne’s Park. Dublin: The Irish Times, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Jones, C. (2019). Dublin By Numbers: Everything you need to know before moving to Raheny. DublinLive, Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Dublin City Council (2022). Licence to Dublin City Farm and Ecology Centre CLG. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
St. Anne's City Farm & Ecology Centre
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St. Anne's City Farm & Ecology Centre
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St. Anne's City Farm & Ecology Centre
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Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.