Slideshow: Stratton farm open day

Hundreds of visitors happily braved the wind and rain to enjoy the annual Stratton Upper School Farm Open Day and Plant Sale on Sunday, May 11.

Children and adults alike met chicks, baby rabbits, alpacas, ferrets and a range of traditional livestock, all of which enjoyed much attention and petting!

The barbecue was very well attended, with the majority of visitors being spotted munching gleefully on home produced sausages, bacon, burgers or delicious pork wrapped in fluffy bread rolls dripping with stuffing and apple sauce.

For a small donation to farm funds, students from the school ran activities for children to enjoy.

Lessons were given in wet felting using the farm’s fleeces which had been dyed in exciting colours.

Children were able to “get messy” making bugs, spinning wool, colouring, gluing and sticking under the watchful eye of the students who were supported by two members of staff.

In all 30 staff and an even greater number of students helped to run this popular occasion voluntarily.

The Quintisessential Brass Band from Flitwick, annual visitors to the Farm Open Day, played mellifluous melodies at intervals throughout the day creating an uplifting atmosphere to fend off stormy rain clouds and entertain the crowds.

The school farm at Stratton does not receive any funding so attendance at this event is vital to keep it open and working with the students. Sadly, the weather discouraged some of their reliable and loyal patrons this year so the decision has been taken to open the parts of the farm (chicks, baby rabbits and children’s’ activities) as well as the greenhouse for another plant sale on Sunday (May 25) from 10am to 2pm.

Aside from this planned event the farm is open from 9am to noon every weekend and bank holiday and from 3.30pm to 4.15pm in term time for meat and plant sales.

Stratton Upper School Farm will also be taking a stall to the St Andrew’s Lower School fete on Saturday, June 7 with plants and some farming activities for children to enjoy.

Sadly, if the farm does not make its much needed sales figures this year it will have to curtail plans for some developments which would be very disappointing. With continued and ongoing support from the Biggleswade community you could help the school farm by purchasing from the wide range of products we have to offer.