Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster

10/07/2025

🌿 Talking Scrapes and how they are a Win for Wildlife & Farms 🐸🦆

The Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster met at last night to visit one of their 3 scrapes and, with the knowledge of Prof , learn how to utilise and what benefits they bring to a farm. Even in a drought! Following this lovely evening walk through the farm, the team met back at the barn for burgers and cider!

💧 What are scrapes?
They’re low-lying, shallow areas that hold rainwater seasonally—perfect for creating mini-wetlands!

🌾 Benefits of scrapes on farmland:
🦢 Boost biodiversity — birds, frogs, insects & more
🐞 Natural pest control — more bugs = more birds = fewer pests
🌍 Improve soil & water quality — reduce runoff & erosion
🪺 Create nesting & feeding grounds for wading birds like lapwings

📍 Ideal for low-lying, damp patches of land

29/05/2025

Just ten days to go!

🌾 OPEN FARM SUNDAY – 8TH JUNE 🌿

📍 Home Farm | Marshwood Vale

🕙 10am – 4pm | Free Entry

We’re opening the gates for a fun, hands-on family day out in the beautiful Marshwood Vale! Come and see real farming in action and discover where your food comes from 🚜🌱



✨ What’s On:

🐄 Meet the animals

🚜 Tractor & trailer rides

🦋 Wildlife & conservation talks

🌾 Live milking parlour viewing

🧒 Discover Farming activities for the kids

🍞 Local food trucks



A perfect countryside day out for all ages – come rain or shine!



📅 Save the date – Sunday 8th June

📍 Home Farm, Marshwood Vale

🎟️ Free Entry | 🚗 On-site Parking

16/04/2025

🚜 Open Farm Sunday – 8th June at Home Farm, Sadborow 🌾⁣
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Come and discover the magic of the countryside! We’re throwing open the gates for a fun-filled family day out – and it’s completely FREE to attend.⁣

This year will be our 3rd year of hosting in conjunction with the Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster and the Melplash Agricultural Society
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🐄 Meet the animals
🚜 Hop on a tractor and trailer farm tour
👩‍🌾 Explore our barn full of fun, hands-on activities with Discover Farming – perfect for curious young minds!
🥘 Experience delicious locally made food
🛠️ Climb aboard real farm machinery
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📍 Home Farm, Sadborow (near Chard)
🗓 Sunday 8th June
💰 Free entry!⁣
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No need to book – just turn up and enjoy a day of fresh air, food, and farming fun. Bring your wellies and your appetite for adventure! 🐑🌽☀️
⁣

14/02/2025

Last night the Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster had our annual get together and what a fantastic night!

The wonderful chef Andy Tyrrell from
in Bridport came and cooked some amazing food for us all using seasonal meat such as venison, pheasant and pigeon. All on the open fires at The Forge - huge thanks to for hosting us!

Whilst enjoying this sumptuous feast, we had a Q&A with Steve Blake about deer management and how he’s handled the deer at Denhay for the past 30 years.

A huge thank you to Steve, Andy and Alex for making this such a great and informative night.

20/11/2024

🌻Talking Winter Bird Food with Prof Tom Brereton 🐦‍⬛

On this gloriously sunny, if slightly chilly, day, our cluster met for a farm walk to discuss SFI and Countryside Stewardship winter bird food blocks. Hosted by James Bowditch and Dan Wyatt, we walked through a few of their fields watching the skylarks and finches and listening to Professor Tom Brereton talk about which birds eat what plants in these winter bird food mixes and how we can get the most of it. Ben from Pearce Seeds was on hand to give seeding advice on the various crops involved in the Government schemes, and then we headed to the New Inn for lunch where discussions continued and we compared what has worked best on our various farms and what birds we’ve seen.

A big thank you to all involved. It was another valuable and educational session that works towards improving our knowledge of how best to farm here in the Marshwood Vale whilst also encouraging soil health and protecting our wildlife.

24/07/2024

🦇 Talking Bats with Nick Tomlinson

The Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster met last night for a fantastic BBQ at Higher Brimley Coombe Farm where we were spoilt rotten with a sumptuous BBQ and a chance to all catch up with our neighbouring farmers.

We were then treated to a fascinating talk from the very knowledgeable Nick about all things Bats - Both here in the UK and abroad. We got to take a look at some real specimens and even smell some bat poo, before all heading outside after sunset with some bat detectors and spotted at least 3 varieties flying around the farm that evening.

Overall a fun and educational evening and we’ve all left wanting to plant more hedges for our flying mammals!

10/06/2024

Some more snaps from yesterday’s packed day of agricultural fun!

09/06/2024

Open Farm Sunday 2024 - what a magical and awesome day!

1200 people came through the Bugler green gates and took part in the Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster’s second Open Farm Sunday.

Discover Farming had everything from milking a cow to birthing a cow, jigsaws on pigs and jigsaws on cows, butter making and wheat grinding.


We had displays from

The great people from and came to share their knowledge and how they work with our farms.

We had sheep, we had cows and food! Oh the food.
☕️ Hot coffee from Coffee XT
🥘 Caribbean Chicken from
🍔 Smashed burgers from
🧆 Pheseant and Venison from .gametruck
🍦Icecream from

There are just so many people to thank!
for all their support
for the initiative
for lending us their land and tractors

But of course to all our amazing volunteers! Everyone from the tractor drivers and trailer speakers to parking stewards and health and safety officers all generously donated their time to make today so special for us all.

Thank you to all for coming and taking part!

08/06/2024

Tomorrow’s the day!

We are really looking forward to Open Farm Sunday tomorrow, where our team will be supporting friends and clients from the Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster and The Melplash Agricultural Society at this event nr Beaminster ☀️ 🚜👩‍🌾

There are tractor and trailer rides for you to enjoy!

You will find us with the dairy cows at Knowle Farm, and we hope to answer any questions you may have 🐄🩺

08/06/2024

OPEN FARM SUNDAY IS TOMORROW!

Are you coming?

Here are some of the highlights from last year.

And this year we have Discover Farming Featuring ‘Dairy area’, activities for all the family, advice on Careers in the countryside and how to become an apprentice as well as displays from Dorset Wildlife trust and the Butterfly Conservation.

In the main courtyard:
Tea, coffee & Ice cream
Food Court featuring and .gametruck
Picnic Tables and seating area
Sheep and Goats
machinery Play and display
a tour of the Grain drier

And you can jump on a tractor trailer tour to Knowle Dairy Farm:
see how cows are housed, fed and milked
Milking demonstration from 2pm
calves and feeding
Milkshakes from Muller

03/06/2024

Discover Farming at Open Farm Sunday

One of our key collaborators on Sunday is who work so hard to help educate young people about this agricultural world and to inspire the next generation of farmers.

Here are some pictures from last year’s open farm Sunday.

This year the team will return with milking a cow, grinding wheat, giant pigsaw and so much more!

29/05/2024

🍔 Food at Open Farm Sunday 🍦

We’ve got an absolute treat - or should I say treats! - lined up for our Open Day.

are coming to do their mouth watering plates such as Caribbean chicken and Persian Fusion
gametruck will be selling hearty game dishes

Grill Em All Burgers are serving up breakfast sandwiches and meaty burgers

Coffee XTC will be there to provide refreshing hot drinks

will be selling soft drinks from and ice cream from

It’s going to be a great day! Watch this space for more of what’s coming up in just 1️⃣2️⃣ Days!