West farms ready to welcome Open Farm Sunday visitors
WESTCOUNTRY farms will be throwing open their gates this weekend to welcome visitors as Open Farm Sunday returns.
Managed by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), the industry’s annual open day gives the public the opportunity to learn more about farming and the wider countryside first-hand, and host farmers the chance to share their farm’s individual story.
Since its inception in 2006, more than 1,600 farmers across the UK have opened their gates and over 2.7 million adults and children have headed onto farms for one Sunday each year.
West Middlewick Farm in Nomansland, Tiverton will be just one of the many South West farms staging an Open Farm Sunday event on June 9. Taking place from 10am until 3pm, there will be a range of activities and displays on offer including cider tasting, sheep shearing, milking parlour tours, nature walks and seed planting.
Visitors to West Middlewick will also have the opportunity to speak with a local agronomist and vet as well as the farmers themselves, John and Joanna Gibson.
John said: “Arla will be here with samples and we have other tasters in the farm shop. Farmer Tom’s Ice Cream will be here so it should be a fun day out for all the family. Dogs on leads are welcome and entry to the farm is free.”
Other Westcountry farms which will be staging Open Farm Sunday events include Deer Park Farm near Callington, Cornwall; North Waterhayne Farm near Honiton, Devon; Stack Field Farm in St Just, Cornwall; and Quicke’s Cheese in Newton St Cyres, Devon.