How does organic farming relate to research and psychological therapy? At Karabeleko, an agroecological farm in the Basque country, rehabilitation of the mentally ill and pioneer research in organic agriculture has proven to be mutually beneficial.

Needs are Met

Karabeleko was started as an answer to different needs in society and as a way of meeting these needs in one and the same place. At the farm, the need for therapy for people risking social exclusion has been combined with the need for research on organic horticulture in a free and open way for farmers. At the same time, Karabeleko aims at increasing the added value of the organic horticultural sector by offering new and interesting horticultural varieties.

This collaboration has been made possible because of an increasing interest in society in untraditional collaborations.

Karabeleko Aims High

Karabeleko was founded in 2014 by Blasenea, a nursery, Kimu bat, a landscape architecture company, and AGAFES, an association of families with mentally ill family members.

Since its foundation, the aim of Karabeleko has been threefold: to develop a pioneer research in organic agriculture while developing rehabilitation, therapy and inclusion work for people with mental illness as well as promoting and disclosing the values of the project which are health, biodiversity, local, participation, knowledge and culture.

The Project’s Achievements

So far, the merits of Karabeleko include:

  • To involve 45 people with severe mental illness of whom 30 go voluntarily on a weekly basis, meaning that there is an average of 10 volunteers per day at Karabeleko;
  • To offer training on horticultural practice to 10 prisoners as part of their therapy. This training has also given them ideas and healthy lifestyle tips for their future lives;
  • To create new knowledge and provide a service for professional and amateur farmers that demand new varieties in organic farming adapted to the conditions of the Basque Country;
  • To raise awareness about mentally ill people and to contribute to their integration in society and the labor market. Karabeleko has succeeded in temporarily hiring two people with mental illness in 2015;
  • To organize education and communication on organic and care farming through school visits – 15 in total by the end of 2015. During these visits, the children can interact with farmers and mentally ill people;
  • To involve the community. Karabeleko suffered from floods at the beginning of 2016. The support and help which they received from the surrounding community was overwhelming. This shows that Karabeleko is already integrated in the local community.

Read more about the Basque Cross Visit