Meet Our Team: Laura Martin, Care Home House Coordinator

April 2025

Many of you know Tablehurst Farm for our livestock, vegetable garden, farm shop, cafe, pie kitchen and care home. But how much do you know about the people who are at the heart of our operation? 

In this edition of our “Meet Our Team” series, we are introducing you to our Care Home House Coordinator, Laura Martin. Here we will chat about Laura’s journey to working in the care sector and specifically the Tablehurst Cottage Care Home. Laura will also share with us her insights on why the care home is important to the farm and what it means for the care home residents to be part of the Tablehurst community. 

Hi Laura, can you give us a description of the care home and its history? 

Peter Brown and his late wife Brigitte started the care home after he took over the running of the farm, in the house that they lived in with their children. It's called Tablehurst Cottage Care Home, which is on the track as you drive up to the farm. Stuart was the first resident when he arrived 25 years ago and he still lives here. The other two residents, Terry and Andrew, arrived not long after, so the three guys have been living together for quite a long time! 

The care home is a cottage with a beautiful garden. The residents come onto the farm every day and work in different areas, usually with the farmers, the pie kitchen or the staff kitchen. 

What is your role at Tablehurst Farm? 

I work in the care home as the House Coordinator. My role is to look after the three residents - Andrew, Stuart and Terry - when they're not working on the farm, so that’s when they’re at the care home and also during their spare time at weekends. I live full time in the care home. 

How long have you been working at Tablehurst Farm? 

I just reached my first anniversary! Before I worked in care, I spent many years in the hospitality and events industry. I retrained as a carer just shy of two years ago now. I'd been doing agency work for about six months when I saw this job at the farm advertised, and I immediately switched. 

What inspired you to switch from hospitality to care work?  

I was looking for a more fulfilling line of work. Looking after bottles of wine is nowhere near as meaningful as looking after people! But managing restaurants and events gave me a lot of transferable skills, including understand the importance of health and safety. 

My grandmother passed way about eight years ago now, and she had received a lot of care. That was when I started getting the bug to want to move to a different line of work. But it took me five years to finally get onto the right career path. 

Working in a care home on a farm must be quite different to agency work. What do you think the residents get the most out of being here? 

What's really unique about this environment is, firstly, there are so many different opportunities for them to be stimulated and feel excited over. There is a diverse range of work that they're able to do, skills that they can learn.

Secondly, there is the freedom that a community farm like Tablehurst can offer them. They have the freedom to move around and communicate openly, and that is very unique among care homes. There is dignity associated with being able to roam freely and form relationships with people outside of just the care workers. It's really wonderful to see them being part of a larger group, a community.

What about the agricultural element? What does it bring to the residents’ lives?  

The residents benefit from the clean-living environment and the quality of food available to them. They eat food that is grown just outside of their home and with their contribution. The outdoor lifestyle and the duty of care towards the animals is a huge stimulus, and really good for anyone's health.  

We talked about how the farm benefits the residents. Can you tell us what the residents bring to the farm and this community?

A community project like this is valuable to everyone, as we connect with people from different walks of life that we wouldn't necessarily engage with otherwise. The residents bring a lot of positivity and joy to the farm. And because the farmers have to accommodate the needs of the residents when working with them, it's a good opportunity to slow down and appreciate the presence of the care home and the residents, when ordinarily they would just pummel through a day. It completely changes the dynamic and people's perspectives. Their ability to contribute towards the community is really heart-warming to see and improves everyone's lives.

A day out on the Bluebell Railway to celebrate Andrew's birthday

Tablehurst Farm’s practices are rooted in anthroposophy. How does this apply in the care home?  

Anthroposophy has a big impact on the care home such as prioritising holistic care, peacefulness and consciously thinking beyond just strict medical needs or rigid personal care needs.

In the care home itself, we pay particular attention around colours and creating a calm environment. The residents enjoy a pleasant home experience, as opposed to just a clinical box-ticking care home environment. The insistence on clean foods and nutrition is also an important element of the care that they receive.  

The care home is also part of the wider anthroposophical community in this area. There are regular performances and events at Emerson, Michael Hall and the Christian Community. Through these the residents have formed friendships outside of the farm as well. This community spirit really separates the Tablehurst Farm care home from other places that I've seen.  

Do you have any memorable moments that have really stayed with you that you'd like to share with us? 

I think it was about two weeks into my time here that lambing day happened last year, and I remember joining the celebration on Easter Sunday. Briony Young (Biodynamic Manager), Peter Brown and a whole bunch of local villagers were going around on a tractor and digging up different biodynamic preparations from around the farm. I remember just thinking that I had stumbled upon the most amazing community. There were children and it just looked like the most fun work there is to be done. And it was all about teaching each other. We then went to see the bees and Briony gave us a little lesson on bees. I just thought I'd stumbled upon paradise.