After welcoming back our International Middle School students from their well-earned half term break we began the half term with a brilliant trip to two farms.
We headed off on Monday morning, waterproofs and welly boots on to our first farm; Tetton Farm kindly hosted by Mr House. Here students learnt about the arable and beef production systems on the farm. Mr House showed them all the different foods that the cows ate throughout the year. Students even had the opportunity to feed the cows which they took great delight in. They got to hear about the different crops that were grown on the farm and how they were used after leaving the farm. On the arable side, students were shown the different pieces of machinery used on the farm and were particularly impressed by the huge size of the combine harvester!
Whilst we were at Tetton Farm we were lucky enough to see a calf that was less than 10 minutes old – a great experience for our students. The last activity at Tetton Farm was an orienteering one. The students split into their tutor groups and were tasked with finding country names hung up around one of the farm’s huge fields. The students embraced the rain and mud and got stuck in, running across the fields to find the various clues. It was then back to The Grange for a brief stop to change muddy clothes and for a warming lunch.
In the afternoon we visited Volis Farm, a dairy farm, which was in its busiest time of year due to calving. The students got shown around the various elements of the farm including the milking parlour, the cow sheds and even the calf shed. In the calf shed students had the opportunity to hear how they are cared for and even got to have a cuddle with them!
The trip was a great success, students thoroughly enjoying it despite the rain! A big thank you to Mrs House for organising this trip and allowing our students to gain valuable and memorable information and experiences.
