Hundreds of visitors are expected to flock to Llanthony Court Farm this month for the fantastic opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of a working farm as part of Open Farm Sunday – a day of free fun perfect for all the family.
Surrounded by the backdrop of the stunning 12th Century ruins of Llanthony Priory, Open Farm Sunday coincides with Wales Biodiversity Week and will host a number of activities including a tractor and trailer ride through the cows and sheep, talks from Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority Wardens, gun-dog and horse logging demonstrations, kids’ pony rides, as well as Jim Beavan from ‘Lambing Live’ showing his sheep shearing skills.
The Sunday extravaganza also boasts a talk on the silage making processes, dry stone walling demonstrations, spinning displays and a look at the Woollen Line project.
Whether you want to find out more about the future opportunities for farming, balancing food production, carbon storage, alternative energy production and water conservation or you would like to meet the farmer, Colin Passmore, and National Park staff to talk about their work with other farmers in the area – this is the perfect opportunity for your family to explore the inner workings of a farm in Wales.
Owner of Llanthony Court Farm Colin Passmore said: “This is the third year running that we have hosted an Open Farm Sunday at our family farm and we are really looking forward to meeting as many people as possible who are interested in how we balance the management of this land for food production, recreation, landscape and environment. Bring all those questions you always wanted to ask a farmer. We hope it’ll be a fun-packed and informative day for everyone, not just the children.”
Mrs Margaret Underwood, Member and Biodiversity Champion for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “Now more than ever our biodiversity is increasingly important. We need the rich variety of life to survive. Wales Biodiversity Week is an important event in the National Park calendar and we are proud once again to be working closely with Llanthony Court Farm. Find out about how the owners of Llanthony Court Farm put promoting biodiversity into practice. National Park staff will be on hand to let people know how we are tackling the big biodiversity issues that we face in land management, conservation and planning. Join us to find out what you can do to encourage more wildlife into your own homes and gardens, reduce your carbon footprint and save money into the bargain!”
Open Farm Sunday will also see the announcement of the final winner of the Discover Pollinators Drawing Competition, run by Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority in conjunction with Open Farm Sunday and Wales Biodiversity Week. The contest sees youngsters show their creative flair by producing drawings of pollinators essential to the agricultural industry. The winning young artist will receive £100 towards an environmental project for their school, as well as a beautiful set of books presented by the author and illustrator Caroline Downey. The closing date for entries is June 15 2012. For full competition terms and conditions please visit: http://www.breconbeacons.org/visit-us/outdoors-activities/guided-walks-activities-and-events/open-farm-sunday-drawing-competition .
For more information on Open Farm Sunday please call 01873 890359 or visit www.farmsunday.org or www.visitbreconbeacons.com.
ENDS