Expert day – Hands-on learning brings farming to life for local pupils.
The Discover Farming Expert Day marks the new school year for the classroom at Washingpool Farm and this year was no exception. The Discover Farming classroom was buzzing with excitement as pupils from Broadwindsor and Symondsbury Primary schools took part in the 4th Expert Day held on Wednesday 1st October. The event gave the pupils the chance to explore real-world farming and environmental topics through a series of four hands-on activities, each led by passionate, local experts.
Explore nature and machinery
Nick Gray from Dorset Wildlife captivated the children with his deep knowledge of the habitats around the ponds, helping them to discover the rich biodiversity on the farm.
Meanwhile, Mark Vickery and the team from Buglers in Beaminster brought along a power harrow, giving pupils an up-close look at how this impressive piece of machinery helps prepare the soil for planting. The children travelled to this activity using the new Discover farming trailer, which proved to be a big hit and added an extra touch of excitement to the experience.
Hands-on with the cow activity
The Discover Farming volunteers led the popular Cow activity, which gave pupils the opportunity to ride the smoothie bike and learn about healthy eating in an energetic way. They also tested their scientific knowledge by labelling the internal parts of a cow and discovering how cows digest food and produce milk.
Field to fork cooking Fun
Ilaria Padovani from Mercado Italiano cooked up delicious pumpkin ravioli with the children, using the pasta recipe that she was taught by her Italian Grandmother and using pumpkins from Washingpool Farm’s growing fields – a perfect example of field-to-fork learning in action.
A celebration of Local Expertise
The event was a wonderful celebration of local knowledge and practical learning. A huge thank you to all our visiting experts, our volunteers and to Broadwindsor and Symondsbury school for making the day such a success!
On 30th September 2026, we will be going for it again. If your school would like to take part. please send an email to katie@discoverfarming.co.uk expressing your interest.
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