Discover first hand what it means to be a farmer at Brooksby Melton College

Brooksby Melton College (BMC) is opening its Brooksby campus to the public on Sunday as a part of the nationwide Open Farm Sunday initiative.
Sheep on the Brooksby estate PHOTO: SuppliedSheep on the Brooksby estate PHOTO: Supplied
Sheep on the Brooksby estate PHOTO: Supplied

This free event will run from 10am-3pm and offers a variety of activities for the whole family, with farm tours, countryside management displays, glasshouse and garden tours and a plant sale. There will even be a barbecue to help everyone re-fuel throughout the day.

Guests will have the opportunity to tour BMC’s commercial farm and meet the resident animals, including Pedigree Welsh pigs, Lleyn sheep and Beef Shorthorn cows. There will also be some fantastic countryside management displays, demonstrating some of the skills needed for maintaining the 850-acre Brooksby estate.

For keen gardeners and horticulturists, there will be a plant sale offering a variety of plants, bedding and perennials, with something to brighten up any summer garden.

To add to the day, guests who love a traditional Sunday lunch can book a table at Brooksby Hall, the stunning 16th century manor house housed on the Brooksby estate, for just £8.50 per person. Advance booking for Sunday lunch is essential, call (01664) 855 262 to reserve your table.

James Fryer, programme manager for environmental industries at BMC, said: “Last year’s event was a huge success, with people of all ages coming along to enjoy some outdoor fun. We hope that this year will be even bigger and better, showing lots of local people what it’s like on a mixed arable and livestock farm.”

Open Farm Sunday is an annual nationwide event managed by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming). The initiative encourages farmers from across the country to open their farms to the public, allowing local people to see the wide range of work that farmers and land managers do on a day-to-day basis on UK farms.