Therapy Farms as Social Innovations Shaping Social Transformations in Rural Areas
Case Study Analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13025089 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vitalija Simonaitytė (0000-0003-2360-2234, Lithuanian Social Research Centre, corresponding author), Erika Ribasauskiene (0009-0008-0802-7431, Lithuanian Social Research Centre) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 13-13 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Societies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2075-4698 • E-ISSN: 2075-4698 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/soc16010013 |
| OpenAlex | W7117975877 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 40 |
Therapy farms are increasingly recognized as social innovations that respond to exclusion, mental health challenges, and youth disconnection, particularly in rural areas. While often praised for their inclusive and rehabilitative potential, their broader impact on structural social transformation remains under-examined. This study explores the House of Educational Experiences, a therapeutic farm in rural Lithuania, to critically assess how such initiatives function as both agents of inclusion and stabilizers of existing socio-economic arrangements. Drawing on a qualitative case study approach, the research analyses in-depth interview data through the lens of the social innovation cycle, focusing on novelty, process, heterogeneity, impact, scalability, and transformative potential. Our findings reveal that the therapeutic farm generates significant individual and community benefits, particularly in psychosocial well-being, social skills, and pathways back into education and employment. However, the initiative also operates within institutional constraints, relying on project-based funding and reproducing aspects of conventional care systems. As such, its transformative capacity appears limited by structural dependencies and policy fragmentation. The study concludes that therapy farms represent an ambivalent form of social innovation: capable of creating inclusive, localized change, but often constrained in their ability to catalyze systemic transformation. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for long-term funding, institutional integration, and cross-sector collaboration
Ambivalence · Function (biology · Inclusion (mineral · Participant observation · Psychosocial · Qualitative research · Social innovation · Social transformation · Transformative learning · Child Welfare and Adoption · Community Health and Development · Innovative Education and Learning Practices
Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences
Social innovation
Social innovation
The case study approach
Social innovation and sustainability; how to disentangle the buzzword and its application in the field of agriculture and rural development
The Oxford Handbook of Innovation Management
Shifting the paradigm
Social innovation for a circular economy in social housing
Social Innovation as Political Transformation
The International Handbook on Social Innovation
A systematic review of social innovation and community energy transitions
Nature-Based Interventions for Mental Health Care
A social innovation model for equitable access to quality health services for rural populations
Evaluating care farming as a means to care for those in trauma and grief
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Why do Social Innovations in Rural Development Matter and Should They be Considered More Seriously in Rural Development Research? - Proposal for a Stronger Focus on Social Innovations in Rural Development Research
| Highly cited | No |
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