Shabden Park Farm hosts educational visits for schools, youth groups and social groups; young and not-so-young!

Visits are tailored to your group's particular interests or curriculum subject and information is aimed at the particular age range of each group. We always provide a chance to 'ask the farmer' any questions about what you have seen or learnt.
Farm staff are trained in health & safety issues and Kirstie is CEVAS-trained in coordinating an enjoyable, safe and educational visit.
It is our policy to host a pre-visit from the teacher or group leader(s) to dicuss activities and requirements for your group's visit, and so you can familiarise yourself with the farm's facilities beforehand. Shabden Park Farm holds full public liability insurance, and we conduct risk assessment and other farm safety policy documentation.

Kirstie has a library of resources for activities, both animal-related and environment/fieldwork, which you are welcome to use and during your pre-visit we can create a programme for the day.

A typical visit

A typical visit for schools will begin with your group being greeted by Farmers Mark and Kirstie in the farmyard and taken to the barn seating area for a welcome talk. Morning activities usually involve visiting the animals with a chance to feed and hold young when they are around, discussion of species, breeds, husbandry etc.
Before lunch the children are taken to wash their hands. Lunch is taken in the seating area of the barn when cold or wet, or if fine, we can picnic in the field adjacent to the yard, with views across the valley.
In the afternoon, the group can opt to do a guided farm/nature walk, optionally using maps or ID guides, or a specific field activity such as counting plant and animal species in a quadrat or hoop. Other activities can be arranged, and we can dicuss these at your pre-visit.
At the end of the day, we return to the barn for an "Ask the Farmer" session, which gives your group an opportunity to ask any questions about what they have seen, heard and learnt during the day.

Activities we can provide on the farm;

• Sheep: lambing during April to May/June, shearing during May/June, sheep husbandry, chance of bottle-feeding lambs.
  
• Cows: calving during Apr/May, cattle husbandry.
  
• Pigs: farrowing all year round, pig husbandry.
  
• Poultry: goslings and turkey poults May-Sept, grown geese and turkeys Sept-Dec, laying hens all year round, poultry-keeping.
  
• Working sheep dog demonstrations and role of working dogs on farm.
  
• General animal husbandry, food production - butchers cutting room and farm shop.
  
• Meat cutting demonstrations, sausage-making.
  
• Managing wildlife habitats – farm nature walk, field studies, species studies.
  
• Woodland and hedgerow studies and activities.
  
• Farm machines and how they work – history of farming and development of technology (older children).
  
• Areas for sketching, outdoor drama/role play.
  
• Ecosystem and enactment games.
  
• Problem solving and team work e.g. bridge/shelter building.
  
• Trailer rides, outdoor play space for letting off steam.