TWT 30 Days Wild_countdown_10Today we were some of the hundreds of thousands of people taking advantage of LEAF Open Farm Sunday’s opportunity to discover the work that goes into producing our food.

OFS_LogIn 2016 we visited Uncle Henry’s in Grayingham but today, lured by the promise of pond dipping with Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project, we headed to Sutton Estates in Stainton le Vale.

The pond dipping was enjoyed twice, once on the way in and again on the way back to the car and our minis were interested to spot the truly mini creatures including freshwater shrimp, water hog louse and water boatman.

But there was also lots more on offer to visitors to the event near Market Rasen.  Log cutting demonstrations, grass seed head making, toilet lucky dips, mini tractor rides, big tractor rides, machinery to explore, police van investigating, flipping frogs, sausage making and, of course, ice cream eating.

The very efficiently and exactly laid out rows of crops may not be particularly wild but, as part of its role as custodians of the countryside, the farm also devotes significant sized borders across its estate to creating habitats and supporting wildlife.

HillAnd there was even a handily located slope just by the side of the field used for car parking, perfectly placed for our wild ones.  For what day out in the countryside would be complete without the chance to roll down and run up a hill repeatedly despite any previous protestations of supposedly tired legs?

Next Year’s LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) Open Farm Sunday will take place on Sunday, June 9th, 2019.  Find out more at https://farmsunday.org/ 

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