Farm History
Where the farm has come from and those involved in making it happen.
In 1977 a community group started work clearing the derelict site of what is now Gorgie City Farm. There were plans to develop the site for housing or for a school, but local people insisted green space was the priority and the City farm opened to the public in 1982. Ever since it has been working farm, selling lambs, pigs, eggs, vegetables and manure to raise some of it's running costs, and visited by tens of thousands of happy visitors every year.
The
farm has always been free to enter, with donations from visitors being
a vital part of it's financing. The farm is run by a Board drawn from
the Friends of Gorgie City Farm. It is also a
registered charity
(No. SCO 10105) open to all. Money has been raised from a wide variety
of sources both local and
national. Chief among these has been for many years a grant for the
City of Edinburgh Council, which funds the majority of staff wages.
One of the principle characters who developed the farm it it's early days was Bunty Anderson. In honour of her the senior cow is always named after her.
A huge amount of work on the farm has involved volunteers, from artists creating the mosaics on the farm walls, to teenagers mucking out the cow pen.
In the late 80's the stable pens were upgraded and are still in use today. In 1994 a purpose - built Education Centre opened it's doors, with a new Council-funded Part-time Education Officer post to staff it. The farm's 'Pet Lodge' followed in 1998, a major attraction for visitors which provides placements for teenage trainees to learn animal care skills. From 2006 a Horticultural Project, with produce stall has allowed many volunteers to learn new skills and gain work experience.
The Bristol-based Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG), of which Gorgie Farm has been a member for many years, opened a Scottish office within Gorgie Farm in 2006.
