THEY'VE got the pigs, they've got the bees, now they need electricity.

The group behind Oxford's new city farm have asked residents to help them raise £12,000 to get hooked up the grid.

The crowd funding appeal, which goes live tomorrow, will also help pay to bring water onto the site so the farm can eventually open a cafe, classroom and community kitchen.

Investors can pledge various amounts in return for a host of farmyard-themed goodies, including 'goat on a tote' bags 'fowl on a towel' tea towels, courses run by local specialists in woodworking, foraging and beekeeping, and yummy edible rewards from local businesses such as Brightwell Vineyard.

Chairwoman and farm founder Lucie Mayer said: "We want to build a vibrant and inclusive city farm for Oxford and to make this happen we need to raise £12,000 to bring water and electricity onto our site.

"This money will enable us to scale up our community growing, install toilets and handwashing facilities and look after animals permanently on the site."

The Oxford City Farm group, who first got going a decade ago, finally signed a 40-year lease on their land just off Cornwallis Road, East Oxford, in February.

Volunteers have been helping clear the former Oxfordshire County Council site of brambles and weeds ready for livestock to move in.

They are already fostering two pigs from Cooper's Oxford Pork at Little Wittenham near Didcot, who are even lending a hand by helping to turn over the soil as they hunt for edible bugs and roots.

The journey has not all been plain sailing: the farm has been hit several times by vandals who damaged beehives and other property, but the group are defiant in their aim to create a farm for the whole community – even those who have tried to hurt it.

Ms Mayer added: "We are working hard to bring all the incredible health, social and environmental benefits of city farming to our urban community.

"Our vision is for a free to access city farm where people of all ages and backgrounds can learn and grow and have fun together through hands-on experiences with farm animals and food production."

But first they need to get electricity and water on site.

People can donate online at crowdfunder.co.uk/help-us-build-oxford-city-farm or send a cheque, payable to Oxford City Farm, to Oxford City Farm, c/o 189 Campbell Road, Oxford, OX4 3NT.

Ms Mayer added: "This an exciting moment for the farm and I want to thank all the people that have put so much time and energy into getting us this far.

"We are working very hard behind the scenes to raise the money we need and we have had a number of recent successes, but we have a lot of money to find and funding for basic infrastructure like water and electricity is proving hard to come by.

"This is why we are going to our community now we really need your help now to get the farm up and running."