Open Farm Sunday 2026 was our biggest yet. Featuring children's games and woodland activities run by our education staff and a name-the-calf competition (Yorkie, if you are wondering which name won). Our ever-popular BBQ sold out by the end of the day meaning  lots of people enjoyed our home-grown burgers and home-baked cakes.

Visitors watched a sheep shearing demonstration and learned from our farm tour. All were delighted to see a pony and miniature goats - thanks to our Farmer, Neil, and his family for bringing them in for the day.

Enormous thanks are also due to our hard working volunteers, without whom the event could not take place. They really are the making of the day

Susan’s Farm once again opened its gates to around 500 visitors of all ages on Sunday 9^th June. It was one of 225 farms across the country that were open that day, so that visitors could find out how farmers work to produce the food we all eat, while at the same time working in harmony with the natural world to increase the biodiversity on the land that they are farming.

There was a steady stream of visitors, keen to enjoy the range of activities laid on by farm staff and volunteers. The main attractions were meeting the goslings, pet lambs and the ponies that had been brought along by some of the farm’s many volunteers. Visitors were also able to watch sheep being sheared.

Local farmer’s son Arthur Armstrong organised a ‘Draw a Tractor’ competition, with prizes kindly donated by Carrs Billington. Winners were Raya and Nina, both of whom fought off stiff competition from the other entrants.

A farm walk was led by Catherine Dawson and Neil Harkness, Susan’s Farm staff, and Adam McGinley from Cumbria Wildlife Trust, who together explained how this organic farm, is managed alongside, rather than against, the natural environment.

At the Open Farm Sunday event,15 local environmental and sustainable organisations had stalls; a great deal of interest was shown in their displays, and they all reported having had great conversations with the children and adults.