Open Farm Sunday 2015-Shoots Delph Farm, St Helens

Today I took the kids to a farm to celebrate Open Farm Sunday. We went to Shoots Delph Farm in St Helens.

Like our farm, it has been passed down through generations of the Forster family for hundreds of years and they run a successful organic meat business raising cattle and sheep which they butcher and sell in their own farm shop.

It was really busy which is good and we started off stroking some pigs, looking at sheep and cows and Monty the bull.

Boo hilariously asked me what the big things were between Monty’s legs. In the spur of the moment I said they were ‘boys bits’ like the ones Baby G has but bigger. I had to bite my lip so as not to laugh.

Next we had a go of egg finding where, if you found an egg without a hole, you won half a dozen eggs. We didn’t but Boo got a lolly so she was happy.

At this part of the farm there was also face painting and a fun adventure climbing area made of straw bales.

To make any child (or big kid) happy, there was lots of machinery to drool over and you could even sit on a tractor.

There was a beautiful lake area where a BBQ was burning and there was a funny wellie throwing competition.

My favourite bit of the day was the butchery demonstration. Mr Forster senior did a great job showing us the different cuts of lamb. When we’ve had our own lamb back from the abattoir I’ve struggled knowing my shank from my chop so I did enjoy this bit.

Unfortunately Baby G was getting fed up so we left after the butchery demo but you can go on a course at Shoots Delph Farm which I will definitely be looking into.

If you missed this year’s Open Farm Sunday, the farm I visited has a farm shop open all year round so do still visit the OFS website as I am sure other farms are the same.

I even saw an old school friend which was lovely.

I love visiting other people’s farms and having a look at what they do. The fantastic thing about OFS is that you see real farms. Not the petting type farms where you take children, real farms where real farming work takes place.

It really does make me happy to see obviously townie (yes I have just said that) people finding out where their food comes from and you can’t get much closer than this than Shoots Delph Farm.

Annoyingly my phone battery died so I didn’t get a photo of the three of us but I got a cracking #felfie of Baby G in his sling with pigs in the background.

I am already excited to find where to go next year.

To find out more about Open Farm Sunday, click here.

To find out more about Shoots Delph Farm, their farm shop, the family or the butchery course, click here.