Despite the weather forecast, the day turned out to be dry and warm. The Year 1 children from Bredon Hancock’s Endowed First School came well prepared for all weather. Today’s topic was Roots and Shoots, with lots of spring growth this was a great topic to do out on the farm. 

Year Two from Dean Close School came to the farm to think about habitats on the farm. To start the day we thought about which animals live at Sandfield Farm, both wild and farm animals. The children thought of lots of creatures from tiny ants to the big bulls.

This week Year 2 from Bengeworth CE Academy has been out on the farm. The children thought about the season of Spring and had a look at our young calves ad-lib feeding in the shed. Some of the children didn’t like the smell of the powdered milk we use. I explained that in order to be able to sell milk, we take the calves from their mothers and milk the cows. The children gave some great examples of how we use the milk at home; in coffee, on cereal, for butter, ice cream, yoghurt, cream, cheese and chocolate. Over lunch we made some butter out of the creamy milk I had collected from a cow. On our farm walk we also had a look at the three large Aberdeen Angus bulls we have on the farm, apparently it didn’t seem possible that the cute calves in the shed could grow into such large animals. 

Today, I was with Year One children from Sedgeberrow C of E First school, who left as the least muddy class of the year so far…. At the start of the day the children and I talked about the seasons and the signs of Spring.  Later on the farm walk, we looked for baby animals, lush green dairy farmer grass and blossom on the trees. We also felt the warm spring air on our skin. The topic today was predator and prey. 

A wet day for Year 2 from Sedgeberrow C of E First School! The children did very well in damp and cold conditions. The topic today was Famous Faces. We started the morning learning about Edward Jenner, a Gloucestershire man, who linked Cow Pox and Small Pox, experimented with a Gloucester breed cow and invented vaccination.