City farms are environmental and agriculture projects, working within a framework of sustainable development, where children, young people and adults can learn about the urban and rural environments and their inter-relationship with plants and animals, the importance of the seasons and the relationship between these. City farms bring visitors in touch with animals, nature, their environment and each other. They achieve this by offering practical activities, training and information, a social meeting point, recreational facilities and animal ''therapy''.

At the beginning of the seventies in the last century, we note that all over Europe groups were trying to find answers to the continuing alienation of people from nature and environment by setting up city farm projects. When we now read all the basic texts of those first projects we can see that they are the same all over Europe, without them influencing each other. ''City farms are all organisations that actively promote the equal access and involvement of children, young people and adults through practical experience in a wide range of educational, environmental, recreational, social and economic activities focussing around farming, empowering peaceful people to improve their own lives and environment in peaceful coexistence'' (article 3 of the EFCF constitution) City farms are known under different names: Kinderboerderijen, Fermes d'Enfants, Fermes d'Animation, Jugendfarmen, 4H farms, City Farms, Discovery Farms or Granjas Escuelas. They may have different origins but are developing similar activities. Different countries started national federations. From 1975 to 1985 a series of informal contacts between City Farms in Europe took place and resulted in the first meeting in May 1986 between delegates from Austria, Belgium, France, Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. The EFCF was established in 1990. The network has grown beyond Europe. The EFCF also has associate members in the USA, and Australia. Many requests for information and support reach the EFCF from all over the world now.