Community Owned Farm offers environmentally friendly, free and low-cost summer holiday events

Filling the gaps in summer holidays might seem like a bit of a daunting task at times, but at Fordhall Organic Farm, there are several weeks’ worth of ‘kind to your wallet’ activities. As a part of their celebration of the Shropshire Love Nature Festival, a volunteer run festival which aims to bring Shropshire locals and visitors closer to nature, the farm is running family friendly events – and yes many are free!

Fordhall Farm is open Tuesday-Sunday, and is free to access, with free parking farm trails and play areas for the young ones, while welcoming picnickers and four legged friends (as long as they are kept on a lead!). However, with the summer holidays here there is even more going on!

• Tasty Tuesdays: run by Fordhall’s resident nutritionist Kate, these free drop in sessions are based simply on good food and involve creating tasty treats from healthy and foraged ingredients. Taking place on 8th, 15th and 22nd August, drop in between 12pm and 2pm to join in.

• Wendy’s Wildlife Wednesdays: discover the world of organics, biodiversity, composting and growing your own in the farm’s Community Garden. Taking place on Wednesday 9th, 16th and 30th August, drop in for free any time between 10am and 2pm.

• Thirsty Thursdays: feel less parched after a summer wander around the farm, by picking up a free sample of nutritionist Kate’s special and refreshing infusion drink. This will be available between 10am and 4pm on 10th, 17th and 24th August. • Arthur’s Foggage Adventure Trail: Celebrating organic pioneer Arthur Hollins, this trail teaches all about foggage farming, healthy eating and how to eat a rainbow. Packs can be picked up from the farm shop or café for just £2.50.

• Toddler £5 Fridays: For just £5 per child, the little ones will receive a fun farm trail pack to go out and explore the farm with, and a tasty organic squash, while the grown-ups can enjoy a standard hot drink of their choice, between 10am and 12pm.

• Meet the Gruffalo: The Gruffalo has been seen in the farm’s woodland! Book to meet him on 30th August, and join in with story time and woodland crafts for just £7 per child. Call 01630 638 696 to book a session with ‘this creature with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws’.

If the adventurous would like a longer stay at the farm, there are also boredom busting summer adventure camps fast approaching. These three-day adventures are suitable for 8-12 year olds, and are jam packed a plethora of outdoor activities, including shelter building, team games, campfire cooking, woodland crafts, pond dipping, and even an overnight campout under the stars! Three camps are available – 8 th -10th, 15th -17th and 22nd -24th August, at £120pp. Please note, pre-booking by contacting 01630 638 696 is required.

Fordhall Community Land Initiative Manager, Charlotte Hollins, said:

‘It was important to us that both of several of our events were free, to ensure as many people as possible have access to something fun over the school holidays, as well as access to the farm.

‘One of our values, ‘Love Mother Nature, is about sharing our passion for respecting and protecting the environment, and we hope that our celebration with the Shropshire Love Nature Festival will expand our visitor’s knowledge of the natural world.

‘In fact, we have just had our first session of ‘Wendy’s Wildlife Wednesdays’, which was a fun bug hunt – there were exciting finds from butterfly eggs, to mint moths, to earwigs in poppy seed heads! The next instalments are fast approaching too.

‘As our theme this quarter is ‘Healthy Food, Healthy People’, we are also promoting the benefits of healthy and sustainable diets to livestock, humans and the environment. One such event ran alongside our bug hunt – ‘Buffy’s Edible Bugs’. Understandably, some may be a little sceptical about how biting down on a bug or two can help the environment but this surprising little fact was discovered through a creepy crawly buffet – attendees helped themselves to Buffy’s (zoologist) buffet of mealworms and locusts!

‘For those who prefer their food a little less critter themed, Tasty Tuesdays are run by our lovely resident nutritionist Kate. She has designed three different sessions, starting with summer smoothies, then a foraged feast and finally ice-cream treats!’

For more information about Fordhall’s upcoming events, please visit: fordhallfarm.com For more information about the Shropshire Love Nature Festival and their events, please visit: www.shropshirelovenaturefestival.org/