Farm Aims

To show children how farmers affect the landscape that they can take for granted.  It also illustrates how modern farming techniques can be altered to improve the environment.

We have restored more of the old buildings the farm for educational usage, which has taken several years.  Therefore we can take whole day visits but we can cater for limited party numbers on part day visits.  We have had visits from, Stover Girls School, Southbrook College, Bicton College and Exeter University.

Farm Management

The farm is using a minimum chemical strategy, which only uses limited amounts of chemicals for certain crop diseases and for weed control.  These are only used when deemed to be necessary for the protection of crops. We believe in combining a mixture of the best of intensive farming with that of organic methods to benefit the environment.

The old farming system was not profitable so that the farm was falling into decline.  We are using modern farming practises to allow the farm to survive.

What the farm can offer

We can offer the following aspects of farming:

  • Crop practises
  • Wildlife and Environmental improvements
  • Preserving habitats
  • Increasing woodlands
  • Trade off against nature
  • Restoring ancient orchards
  • Maintaining old farming trades

We have a route planned out on part of the farm, which apart from one steep climb is easy for children to follow and shows a selection of all the fields on the farm in one location.

These are:

  • A habitat field.
  • An arable field.
  • A set aside field.
  • Replanted and established woodlands.
  • A grass field.

However we can go to our outlying sites which have:

  • A river meadow with Ox Bow lakes and old river courses.
  • The stockyard at New Park Farm.

Your visit to our farm can be tailored to suit your requirements.  If you are producing handouts we will help to provide additional resource material on that particular subject.

  • Mathematics
  • Land usage
  • Mapping
  • Science
  • Environment

These can be used to link work with Key Stage 1 and 2 work in the classroom.  Some examples of the work that could be done are:

  1. Graph worksheets in conjunction with the land use allocation
  2. Vocabulary introduction to new words
  3. Counting different types of grasses in the Habitat fields
  4. Checking for different tree leave types
  5. Input - Process - Output diagrams
  6. The use of coppicing
  7. Draining experiments in trays of earth to experience the effects of poaching in the field situation
  8. The history of the farm and its occupants
  9. Photographing the growing crops and analysing how they grow

Health & Safety

We do recommend that a pre-visit is undertaken so as to carry out a risk assessment and that you can become familiar with the farm.  It also gives us a chance to tailor the needs of your visit and we can discuss your requirements.

There are some ongoing restoration works being undertaken at the farmhouse, which means there is some mud and machinery moving around the farm.

  • Wellington or waterproof boots are therefore advisable
  • Close supervision of all pupils is paramount whilst in the confines of the meeting area, farm yard and stock yards
  • We do have an effluent tank and a below ground muck heap which are at New Park stockyard and these are fenced off.  However there are no other dangerous areas on the farm

At present we can only cater for a maximum of 20 persons in any one visit.  Facilities are now provided in the main old farmhouse yard and these comprise of:

  • Lavatories
  • Covered area for reception and briefing
  • Van parking area

We will try to increase the facilities for taking larger visits over the next couple of years.

Due to the nature of the land, access for a disabled person is extremely limited.  However we can accommodate one disabled person per trip in one of the farms off road vehicles at their own risk.

All our visits are free so call us on 07770 820911 or email bakerleaf@aol.com to book a visit 

Download the Aishe Barton Farm Profile Teachers Pack (46.4 Kb PDF)