I used Lego to design a farm for people who are blind - like me

Like many children who grow up on farms, Mike Duxbury has a life-long passion for rearing animals and growing crops.

But after losing his sight due to glaucoma at six-years-old, he was told that a career in agriculture was an impossibility.

That was like a "red rag to a bull" he said, and he went on to get a degree in animal nutrition and to set up a farm in Bedfordshire.

Now the 57-year-old is developing a farm in Aberdeenshire specifically tailored to help youngsters with disabilities get into agriculture.

Designed using Lego bricks, the main farm building will have a classroom, a workshop, as well space for handling animals.

As a teenager living on the family farm in Worcestershire, Mike applied for multiple courses but only got one acceptance, from an agricultural college.

"The rest is history," he told BBC Scotland News.

"I had a wonderful time. I was no longer that isolated blind individual, I was Mike.

"That changed my life, finally I knew I was normal."

With a degree under his belt, he found work in a diversity role with a communication company before moving back into agriculture.

With his wife, Ness, he built an inclusive farm from scratch in Bedfordshire several years ago.

But after giving a talk at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh in 2023 about diversity in agriculture, he was "inundated" with interest about setting up something in Scotland.

"Jokingly I said 'give me a farm then'."

He was then offered a 22-acre farm space at Newton of Drummy at Tarland from the MacRobert Trust, which supports charities across the UK.

"It was quite run down, we have turned that around."

His original Lego design for the main farm building was 10 bricks high and needed hundreds of pieces to complete.

The actual building now constructed on the site by Rothienorman firm RPD - which has also donated a ram to the project - is about 105ft (32m) long, 40ft (12m) wide and 15ft (4.5m) high.

"They took photographs of my model and together we have done it," Mike said. "The floor plan is what the builders have built from.

"They have been outstanding - most companies would have run a mile.

"I did joke if it would be cheaper to actually build it in Lego.

"It shows how someone blind can work together with someone to create something."

Widened paths, smooth flooring, and handrails will help people with disabilities get around.

Mike said knowing the surroundings are safe helps people like him find their way around with confidence.

It will predominantly be a livestock and agriculture farm and currently has five beef cattle and a small flock of sheep.

This will be followed by pigs, as well as chickens and goats, as well as smaller breeds such as rabbits, for those not used to handling animals.

A polytunnel for horticultural work features equipment with adjustable heights, to suit wheelchair users and smaller children.

And they plan to open a pumpkin patch for children for Halloween.

"If the site and equipment is accessible it is an opportunity for everyone," Mike said.

"It is a space that can be used all year round."

Charity status was set up earlier this year, and Mike thinks about £70,000 is still needed for the project.

Fundraising events have been held in areas including Ballater and Clatt.

"We are not a care farm, our point is to get people a better future," he said. "I think what we have here will be a brilliant facility."

Visually-impaired William, 17, from Cumbria has always wanted to be involved with farming.

He is on the farm on a residential basis as their first long-term student.

"It's been good, Mike knows what I am capable of and will allow me to do it," he said.

William already feeds the sheep and cattle on his own.

"That has surprised me," he said. "After my first week I was doing it.

"Most people do not understand, it would be handy for more people to know we are more capable than they think we are."

Mike said: "I am on his level. William has grabbed the opportunity. We are very proud of him. His attitude has made it, he has overcome things."

They have a student, Duncan, from Stonehaven, who comes in once a week who Ness said had really started to engage with people during his time on the farm.

They have also had a female student from America for a week who wants to be involved in agriculture.

"It's good to pass on knowledge," Mike said.

NFU Scotland said it was "thrilled" to see such innovative projects taking shape.

"Initiatives like this open doors for people with visual impairments and other disabilities to experience and pursue careers in farming - opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach," a statement said.

And Alan Turner, chairman of Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure services committee, said the "excellent" project had already seen organisations and schools interested in training and placement opportunities.

Mike hopes the farm will make a difference for many people.

"We are here to help everybody who wants help with agriculture or independence," he said.

"The biggest breakthrough is getting everybody to communicate. You have got to learn to have conversations and be part of a team.

"The seeds have been sown, this is just a start. Disability will never go away, let's embrace it, because everybody has something to contribute."