Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to Freightliners Farm.

Founded in 1973 in the King’s Cross area, Freightliners Farm moved in 1978 to the heart of the London Borough of Islington, on top of an ancient railway. Now 43 years old, it welcomes visitors of all ages, from tiny babies to ninety-something year olds.

With cows, sheep, bunnies and ducks, the farm provides a free escape from the city in the city. A registered charity, it is currently raising money to replace its beloved pair of pigs, who have sadly died due to old age.

Funded by The National Lottery and local donations, the farm lost 70% of its core funding in 2002 due to government cuts, and now has to generate much of its own income.

“We started growing vegetables and producing eggs and we now sell them from a Farmgate [farmers’ association], we wanted to really copy the model of traditional farming,” said Liz McAllister, the farm manager.

“We use most of our produce we grow in our cafe as well, we do soups and cakes.”

They also organised charity events to raise funds such as last Sunday’s Cow vs Pig Fun Run, a 5k charity run competition between people dressed in cow and pig onesies, which were supplied by the farm.

“It was a great success, the day was very lovely and brought the community together for a good cause,” said McAllister.

The farm also gives back to the community by offering work placements for young adults with learning disabilities or “troubled school kids”, and training for anyone who would like to spend a day gaining new skills. “We have 5 to 10 volunteers a day,” said McAllister.

The staff is working hard at keeping the farm as eco-friendly as possible by offering garden waste to be used as fertiliser, and creating decorations out of recycled goods.

With the possibility to sponsor an animal you can get involved by donating a little bit of your time or your money.