In this issue of Community Update, we are delighted to announce Beetle Bank Open Farm with our Commitment to Excellence Award.
Beetle Bank Open Farm is situated in the beautiful green belt village of Murton, near York and offers the perfect family day out. The family-run farm opened in 2017 and will be celebrating its sixth birthday at the end of May this year.
With farm favourites from sheep, goats, pigs, guinea pigs, chicks, to alpacas, children are invited to pet the animals in the farm barn, before playing in the adventure playground and then having a delicious bite-to eat in the café.
“We’re open from March to October, six days a week for visitors. We have something for everyone: mums with young babies can meet up for play dates during the week, grandparents can visit with toddlers and families at the weekends and during holidays.
Children can have birthday parties here, with exclusive, private cuddles of the animals, a play in the adventure playground and a delicious birthday tea,” explained owner Angela.
This, however is a farm with a difference: with a strict organic ethos, there are no chemicals used on site, in the toilets or in the fields. There are no tractors ploughing the field: everything is manpowered.
All the café and farm shop produce are either home-grown or locally sourced, supporting the local economy and local community groups help with the manual labour during weekdays.
“We love nurturing our local community; throughout the day we have visits from nursery group and primary schoolchildren, who learn about growing vegetables. We have rewilded an orchard and our wild flower meadow is blooming. We release young, grey partridges in the summer and have some capacity for taking in rescued animals and birdlife,” explained Angela.
The sustainable hands-on farm has some fun activities planned for this August. The Summer Safari event showcases some of the more exotic animals on-site such as pygmy hedgehogs and during the wildlife workshop week, children can make bat boxes, fat ball hangers and bee hotels. Building up to the August Bank Holiday weekend, children can make their own scarecrows, followed by a parade, with the winner receiving an annual pass.
“The highlight is our annual Beetlefest camping weekend, from the 18-20 August. We have lots of amazing acts planned: Karl Mullen on piano, Prof Fiddlesticks, a children’s entertainer, an all-you-can-eat BBQ dinner, DJ Barry and even The York Astronomical Society, to point out night sky constellations. Book your tickets now!”
To find out more, see the website below:
T 01904 488796