17th April 2022:
After mentioning our school trips on Facebook recently we have been inundated with enquiries! We have unfortunately had to stop accepting enquiries at this time while we work through those received so far. Should we be able to accept more bookings, we will remove this message and welcome you to complete the enquiry form at the bottom of this page, so please check back again at the end of January. For the time being please feel free to read about our trips below but please do not submit an enquiry as we will be unable to respond. Many thanks for your co-operation.

We're passionate about educating children about food and farming, and there's no better way of learning where food comes from than seeing it growing on the farm. We've been running school trips for over 30 years and have a number of experienced teachers amongst our team.

EDUCATIONAL FARM WALKING TOURS
Our year-round farm tours are hugely popular with school groups, offering an in-depth, 60-75 minute tour of the farm led by an experienced teacher. The tour can be tailored to meet the needs of the group or a particular aspect of a curriculum. Some examples of our most popular tours are given here, and we’re happy to combine elements from different tours to create a bespoke visit. Click the [+] to read about each tour.

1. Food and Farming tour

Available all year round, this is the most popular tour we offer, covering topics such as the different growing seasons, sustainability, crop life cycles, farm machinery, history of farming, healthy eating and the large-scale production of food.

2. Growing Fruit and Veg

The perfect tour for summer and autumn, we cover some of the general farming topics from the ‘food and farming’ tour, with particular focus on visiting the fruit and vegetables growing on the farm at the time. This gives an in-depth insight into food production, nutrition and healthy eating. Groups often add the 'Pick Your Own Fruit' activity onto this tour (see below) to add a hands-on learning experience.

3. Herbs, Plants and TREES

A tour especially suited to spring time, or for those wishing to understand the growing of plants, their life-cycle and how to care for them. Visitors will also gain sensory experience with the smell and feel of different herbs and plants. Groups often add the 'Grow Your Own Veg' activity onto this tour (see below) to add a hands-on learning experience.

4. ChickenS and Eggs

A firm favourite amongst the younger children, we go inside the farm’s hen coup, usually off-limits to farm visitors. Inside the coup we learn all about our hens and how to care for them, as well as their life-cycle. The highlight of the tour is the opportunity to gather eggs from inside the hen house!

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
Our hands-on experiences offer the chance to 'learn through doing' and are particularly memorable for the children. The availability of these activities is seasonal - see the table below for details - and they are designed to be done in addition to an educational walking tour. Click the [+] to read about each activity.

pick your own fruit

It's what we're famous for! Visit our fruit fields in summer and autumn and pick what's available with your own hands. Every child will get chance to pick a punnet of their own produce to take home and enjoy. A great way to learn how different crops grow and to encourage healthy eating.

Grow Your Own Veg

Experience hands-on planting of vegetables, herbs or flowers in our plant centre in spring. With the help of an experienced gardening professional, every child will get chance to plant their own produce to take home, watch grow and enjoy the harvest. This teaches a number of lessons including the science behind the plant life-cycle, caring for living things and patience!

PUMPKIN PICKING

It's our busiest time of year, with thousands of pumpkins, muddy fields and grinning children! Subject to availability, school groups can book in during the first three weeks of October to come pumpkin picking. Children can pick their own pumpkin from our outdoor patch or indoor display.

TRACTOR TOUR

In addition to the Educational Walking Tours, we now offer a Tractor & Trailer ride around the farm too. Stopping at various points of interest along the way, this is often the highlight of the visit for the children (and grown-ups!)

READ ABOUT OUR EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS

Farmer Tod Bulmer started giving educational tours of the farm in the 1980s to adult groups such as the WI and to occasional school classes. A natural (loud) speaker, these days Tod gives talks on the history of the farm and farming in general to various societies who invite him to speak. With over 50 years of farming experience there aren't many questions he can't answer and you might get the chance to pick his brain as he drives you round the farm on his tractor and trailer!

Farmer Tod Bulmer

Kathryn teaching how to grow pumpkins.

Kathryn Green has over 30 years of teaching experience, particularly in subjects such as geography, communication, teacher training and provision for people with learning difficulties.

After retiring from teaching in 2011 she joined us to work in the plant centre, but soon got involved in helping out with school visits to the farm. Kathryn has now led hundreds of school visits, which have grown in popularity every year, with over 1300 children coming to the farm in 2019 on an official school trip.
 
Kathryn liaises with school teachers in advance of their visit to ensure her guided tour is tailored to meet the curriculum needs and learning styles of the children. School visits can cover any aspect of food, farming and the natural environment, with the most popular visits coming in summer and autumn when the children can pick their own fruit or vegetables!

Simon (left) and James (right)

 

Simon Bulmer grew up at Kenyon Hall and spent much of his youth working on the farm. During the 2010s he moved to Cumbria and qualified as a primary school teacher, gaining nine years of experience in this vocation.

​He returned to the farm in 2020 as horticultural manager and is keen to get involved in our educational offerings. Given his recent in-school experience, he is a very welcome addition to our learning team!

Simon's brother James Bulmer established the 'Junior Farmers' programme at the farm, which provides hugely popular learning experiences for children during school holidays. With three small children of his own, James is adept at showing children around the farm where he has spent most of his life.

 

WHEN CAN WE VISIT?
Groups are welcome to visit at any time of year. The calendar below indicates when the different tours and activities are available. Please note that all are subject to seasonal variability and we advise booking as early as possible - our tours are often fully booked several weeks in advance.

Month	Walking / Tractor Tours	Pick Fruit / Veg	Grow Veg	Pick Pumpkins
Jan	YES	-	-	-
Feb	YES	-	​YES	-
Mar	YES	-	​YES	-
Apr	YES	-	​YES	-
May	YES	-	YES	-
Jun	YES	​YES	-	-
Jul	YES	​YES	-	-
Aug	YES	​YES	-	-
Sep	YES	​YES	-	-
Oct	NO	​-	-	YES
Nov	YES	-	-	-
Dec	YES	-	-	-

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Click here to see our 2022 Price List.

HOW DO WE BOOK?
Complete the enquiry form below and we'll get back to you to finalise details and firm-up arrangements in the next few days.

NOTE: WE ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY MORE ENQUIRIES. PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW RIGHT NOW. AS AND WHEN WE CAN ACCEPT MORE ENQUIRIES WE WILL REMOVE THIS MESSAGE.