Open Farm Sunday 2009 at Lakeside Farm Park
“Care about your food? We Do”
The day before was a washout with floods cutting some local farmers off!! Fortunately the day dawned and the rain stopped with an appearance of the sun which brought in about 350 people during the day.
This year we had “Ask a Young Farmer” and a big thank you to Llantrisant YFC for helping us. They were superb and answered lots of questions and were quite at home with the public. We called it revision for those with their GCSEs this year! Good luck for your exams everyone. Lyn and Rhidian also walked the nature trail with Lyn giving a full explanation of trees and plants on our farm along with their history. Russell is hoping some of the boy’s will be confident to shear next year as some of them have just passed their proficiency with the wool board. The public were very impressed with all of them commenting on their knowledge and manners.
The tractor and trailer rides started and the hourly rate went out of the window we had 7 jam packed trailer rides Russell had people queuing all day.
Everyone saw the display of sheep, watched them being sheared, and lambs weighed and the comparison of birth weight to now. Back at Lakeside they were able to see our wool washed, Michelle gave us a great spinning demonstration and also brought some of her knitted products from our sheep.
We had Cressida from Bridgend RDP and Helen from Glamorgan WFU pan frying our lamb chops and mincing lamb to make burgers we also were giving away cawl this was made from our lamb breast and the Abercerdin School food co op vegetable bag. They used the school’s fruit co op bag to make smoothies and fruit salad.
Thanks to Julie and Geoff Thomas with their interactive Simply the Best Training display and doubling up into other jobs through out the day. Claire from Milestone activities and a member of Glamorgan WFU gave people a Nordic walking taster session through our recently harvested fields, Bridgend Farmers Market had a presence with neighbours Charles and Gill Morgan with Bethesda butter and welsh cheeses many thanks to them
Some of the Comments:
“Very interesting and educational for the whole family”
“Very interesting, Cawl excellent, kids really enjoyed themselves”
“The staff have been brilliant any questions have been no trouble, very friendly & welcome. Very good range of animals and demonstrations from smoothie making to sheep shearing recommend this event!”
A huge thanks to everyone that participated and sponsored the day, we couldn’t have done it without the cooperation of friends, neighbours and family.
Llantrisant YFC
Glamorgan WFU
Simply the Best training: www.simplythebesttc.co.uk
Milestone activities: www.milestoneactivities.co.uk
Michelle: www.woollywumpkins.co.uk
Bridgend Farmers Market
Bridgend RDP
Also thanks to LEAF for the support and resource pack, the seeds seemed the most popular this year. Lots more budding farmers!
Open Farm Sunday 2010 -June 13th
Open Farm Sunday June 1st 2008
Here we are again 1 year on not knowing what to expect. All of us up at 6.00 a.m. to get all the quizzes printed off and animals into the shed for the display.
New this year “Ask the Farmer” Geoff Thomas (brother in law) from Down to Earth series HTV and Kath Morgan from a neighbouring farm along with Bill Edwards (Grampy) were there to answer any questions in the sheep shed. Russ again did the shearing demo and the quiz had a match the fleece to the breed of Ram which most people got right with a little help from the experts.
Bridgend Farmers market was represented with Charles and Gill Morgan (also neighbours) and Gareth with his Welsh cheese and honey.
Simply the Best Training Company were here again with training information and protective clothing and helmets for people to see and try.
Glamorgan Women’s Food and farming Union had a stall promoting British Cheese with lots of tasters and selling freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice.
RSPB volunteer John Ramsey was here to give people lots of info and we displayed our map and list of birds from the survey last year.
Claire Harris gave some Nordic walking Tasters in the main hall which we were grateful for as the downpour meant the tractor and trailer ride stopped for a few hours.
Communities first had a stand showing what regeneration work had been going on in the ward of Blackmill.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the day lots of questions and comments. One comment on the feedback forms “My 4 year old daughter was thrilled to see a sheep being sheared, plus the pony and the smelly cows” The weather held out until 1.30 when the heavens opened and we had a down pour, this made inside very busy and the restaurant was packed with people eating Sunday lunch. The lamb served on the menu was very local.
The sheep shed had a display of sheep & rams, Aberdeen Angus cows our goat kids Millie and Molly with ducks, ducklings, chicks and goslings to be seen. The shearing demo was also there along with our “pen of Farmers.” We estimate about 500 people attended the day.
Many thanks to everyone who helped and contributed to making this day such a success we couldn’t have done it without you. Please look out for us on the “Down to Earth” programme on ITV Wales between 5.00 & 6.00pm Sundays from 15th June. See you next year!!- June 7th 2009.
Thanks to LEAF and their sponsors for the resources provided and also to our local sponsors FUW, NFU Cymru and Hybu Cig Cymru, Leanne from Garden village post office for the balloon display and John our Chef for the tasters.
We have currently been featured on the series Down to Earth with Hywel James on HTV sundays at 5.15pm
WFU conference was in Heronstone Hotel Bridgend. Marianne Fischer Boel, Elin Jones, Baroness Byford and lots more famous names attended.
Thank you to the schools that have visited us this Season, do send us any pictures or feedbak you have produced
 Eira has just attained her Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation (CEVAS)
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