Last weekend was Open Farm Sunday – a fantastic opportunity to visit your local farms and have a good nose around for free and it was on Father’s Day so we gave dad a good day out without spending a penny!
I looked on the Open Farm Sunday website and decided to visit our nearest farm, Easton Farm Park, which usually charges an entry fee. On Open Farm Sunday it was completely free, with only a few of their children’s activities being charged for (such as tractor-train rides, pond-dipping and lamb feeding for £1 each) and we saved even more cash by taking along a picnic – including some butterfly buns that I’d specially baked for Father’s Day – although a BBQ and hog roast was available on site at very reasonable prices.
We saw historical buildings, ancient agricultural machinery and lots of educational resources throughout the farm, and I was delighted to have the chance to pet lots of animals, including pygmy goats and their tiny kids, miniature ponies, sheep and lambs, rabbits and chicks. I also loved seeing the traditional (and massive) Suffolk Punch horses as they paraded around the main farm lawn, and spotting their adorably long-legged foals in the surrounding fields.
All in all, a lovely day out for all the family – as an enthusiastic smallholder dad was delighted to have a good look around a large farm – and I’d be happy to pay to visit next time, and I’d love to sample their famous hog roast!
