🥲Folks, it is wet in our farming fields. Different story in Countryside Adventure though, thankfully!
Folks, it is wet.
The sun’s finally coming out and warming our backs every now and then, but it’s a different story down below in our farming fields, where our boots sink into the soil and mucky water oozes all around.
This March has been a bit of a stinker for farmers.
As I drove around Cambridgeshire last week, it was clear we weren't alone in our soggy situation. It's a bit of a bummer, considering March usually has us in full farming swing. But hey, we farmers are nothing if not adaptable!
Thankfully, the ground within Countryside Adventure and the measures we’ve taken mean our farm park isn’t anywhere near as badly affected as the working part of the farm. But it’s always worth wearing your wellies to our Easter Eggstravaganza!
Usual farming routines gone out the window
Usually by now we’d have prepared the ground for seeding and would be nearly ready to go – not this year though.
You might've seen some of our fellow farmers making less-than-desired tracks in their fields with their tractors. It's a necessary evil with all this mud, but it does complicate things down the line, reducing the overall health of the soil.
Luckily for us, our timing's a bit different. Ideally our famous pumpkins would be going in very soon, but they don't need to hit the soil until May. So we're crossing our fingers for drier days ahead.
The strawberries are in good shape
Painstaking processes we went through a few years ago come in handy on the crop front too – if you’ve ever done PYO at Over Farm, you’ll know we grow our strawberries up off the ground, which means we don’t have as many soil-related problems as we grow them (and you don’t get as muddy when you pick ‘em!).
This week, we’ve been picking off the dead leaves to get the new ones growing, and we did our annual bug spraying to make sure it’s only you lot who get to eat our strawbs.
Lots of fixing to do!
In the meantime, the team's been all hands on deck prepping for our Easter Eggstravaganza. There's been a whirlwind of painting, fixing, and prepping — turning the farm into a springtime wonderland for all of you. And let me tell you, maintaining the magic isn't cheap!
Our machines have been pampered through the winter to the tune of thousands per machine. But it's all worth it to ensure we can keep maintaining our crops and cruising you lot around the farm on our beloved tractor trailer.
The fun doesn't stop at farming though! This week alone, I discovered a cracked brake pedal on a tractor and a golf buggy that decided to eat its own battery terminals. Not to mention the thrilling saga of broken dishwashers and fridges. All good fun.
I do have an office too, you know...
With summer on the horizon, it's not all mud and maintenance. I've also been buried in office work, plotting and planning for the seasons ahead. Ever heard of nutrient management? It's as exciting as it sounds, but we've got to keep our rivers safe and our fields fruitful, so I’ve been painstakingly calculating the nutrients we use and making seed and fertiliser orders off the back of that work.
And in the spirit of spring cleaning, we've also been tidying up the farm — listing old machinery on Facebook Marketplace (have you spotted anything of ours on there recently?!).
I even found a couple of days this month to get away from the farm, meet with other small business owners and farmers, and look at things from a fresh perspective. Lots of ideas shared for packing in even more value at Countryside Adventure… Watch this space!
Join us at our Easter Eggstravaganza!
So there you have it — a little peek behind the farm gates. It's a mix of mud, maintenance, and meticulous planning, but it's all part of the adventure, and we’re gearing up for another bountiful year.
Now you know what happens behind the scenes, why not come and enjoy all the magic that happens up front? From Saturday, our Easter Eggstravaganza will be in full swing in Countryside Adventure, and tickets are only £12.99.
I think that's about everything - apart from to reiterate that you need to select tickets up until 1st April if your little one is keen to meet the Easter Bunny and look for eggs in our famous farm hunts!
To meet the Easter Bunny and
win a prize in our famous egg hunts,
please book for 23rd March - 1st April!
Thanks for reading - now do a little sun dance for me? Let's hope the forecasts are right and the weather is kinder to us during the Easter Holidays!
See you soon. Much love,
What's on at Over Farm?
What about annual membership?
So much is packed into our Countryside Adventure memberships. For just £69.99, enjoy whopping discounts and unlimited entry at certain times of year! Find out more about membership here
Got budget to play with? Plan ahead!
Nearing the end of the financial year with budget to play with? Lucky you! If you're after something unique to treat your staff to, check out our hampers and Xmas party offering. Browse hampers > Xmas party info <
When did you last pop into the café?
Our café's got much cosier over the last few years and has quickly become a firm favourite for lots of locals. Come and try a tasty bake or home-made meal! Click here to find out more about our café
