We talk to Visitor Experience Manager, Vanessa Sawyer, for a Standalone Farm Summer round-up and highlights of what's happening in Halloween half term.
Vanessa, Summer is over! What have been the highlights of the Summer season at the Farm?
We’ve had a brilliant Summer at Standalone Farm. In each week of the Summer holiday we held a special event. The events included donkey rides, falconry displays, sheepdog demonstrations and magic shows. We also welcomed Dino Babies to the Farm for the first time and they were a hugely popular success – the farm was jam packed with little ones wanting to see the life-like baby dinosaurs! We simply cannot wait for them to return next year, they created such a buzz. We are pleased to have received great feedback from visitors to the Farm this Summer, with every show offering an opportunity for families and little farmers to experience something new.
Now the school holidays are over, what sort of activities will be running at the Farm?
Th Farm stays open during the Autumn season up until 3 November, so there is still plenty happening daily. We have regular Farm events such as Jane the Jersey cow’s milking demonstration and visitors have the chance to have furry cuddles from our guinea pigs during our small animal handing sessions. Poppy, our sow has recently given birth to a litter of piglets, which visitors love to see being fed and we have grooming with our much-loved pony, Posy. All the usual Farm facilities are here to be enjoyed, as well as the play area, the tractors in the yard, the garden and the Greenway Café.
What is in store at the Farm for the October half term school holiday?
We will be hosting a range of Halloween-themed events. There are spooky arts and crafts planned as well as pumpkin carving sessions on the weekend of 26 and 27 October. We also have new monster additions coming to our gift shop. There's always a lot of fun at the Farm at this time of year.
How can visitors give feedback about the visitor experience at Standalone Farm?
We are always keen to hear what our visitors have enjoyed at the Farm as well as what they would like to see in the future. We have recently developed a Standalone Farm survey for previous and prospective visitors. The results from the survey will help us improve the visitor experience and inform any new developments at the Farm. We are grateful to everyone who can spare five minutes to complete the survey. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Farm soon or to greet you if it's your first visit!
