THEY say an apple a day keeps the doctor away – and if that’s the case there shouldn’t be too many house calls to north Pembrokeshire’s Clynfyw Care Farm in the next few months.

The Abercych farm’s community apple juicing service has this year topped a staggering 7,250 bottles – which works out at roughly 75,000 apples.

“We only did juiced about 800 bottles in our first year,' said Jim Bowen, Clynfyw Care Farm's manager.

“That was back in 2013. Since then the demand for our apple juicing service has grown incredibly. Last year we did just over 5,000 bottles, with us topping 7,250 bottles this year. It has been a record-breaking year.”

Clynfyw Care Farm supports a wide range of vulnerable people using the land as a therapeutic tool for fun, learning, engagement and community development.

It started making charcoal back in the 1990s, apple juicing in 2013, vegetable growing in 2015 and in 2021 will be starting a vermicomposting enterprise too.

“Our main focus is on creating meaningful things for people to do," said Jim.

“But the bigger picture is always there too. We juiced apples for more than 150 people this

year; families whose apples may very well have fallen and been wasted had this service not been there.

“Food security has always been important, and even more so with the climate breakdown. Projects like this will be vital in years to come.”

The Clynfyw ethos is to focus on local need and see where the ripples end up. The money made from the sales of Clynfyw's own juice helps subsidize the cost of containers full of donated wheelchairs and mobility aids which are regularly shipped out to Kenya and South Africa.

“We love the juicing season,” said Jim, 'but by the end of it we feel like we never want to see another apple. People are still asking us if we are carrying on, but to be honest we have had enough.

“Fortunately the juice tastes good, so that feeling quickly goes away.”

For more information about Clynfyw Care Farm, call 01239 841236.