Learning for Life at Westmorland County Show

The Learning for Life Marquee, an established and integral part of Westmorland County Show proves more and more popular every year. It is a chance for schools local to South Cumbria and North Lancashire to showcase the brilliant work they do throughout the term.

Packed with interactive displays, arts, environmental projects, sciences, crafts, IT projects and more, this marquee is definitely the most colourful on all the Showground, with activities for all ages. As a result of schools becoming involved with the Learning for Life Marquee, children are introduced and participate in their local County Show from a young age, gaining fantastic experience of the countryside and agriculture in an environment like no other.

If you would like to exhibit in the Learning for Life Marquee, please contact us

Farm Open Days

Tuesday 25th & Thursday 27th June 2024

One of the most rewarding events on the WCAS calendar is our Farm Open Days which take place every two years. Schools across Cumbria and North Lancashire are invited to attend, whilst over 100 volunteers and demonstrators give their time to help make the Farm Open Day a truly memorable day of discovery for the children. With its beginnings in 2007, the Farm Open Day initiative aims to help youngsters explore the link between farming and the food that reaches their plate, whilst learning about the importance of agriculture and sustainable farming and food production.

Various stations are set up around the farm, with a mix of more traditional farming methods that are widely used; sheep shearing, sheep dog handling, poultry keeping skills as well as promoting the use of technology in farming by incorporating a veterinary lambing simulator, along with an automated sheep run and weigh cell. The children discover how dairy cows are milked, how the milk is processed and bottled, and have a go at milking ‘Clover’ our wooden dairy cow. Amongst all this of course, there’s a chance to get up close with the animals, holding day old chicks, feeding calves and meeting sheep and lambs.

WCAS understands that the future of farming lies with future generations, and with this in mind, the aim of the Farm Open Days is to inspire and educate these future generations to the agricultural landscape around them.

Farm to Fork Roadshow

As part of the Rural Links initiative, WCAS take their Farm to Fork Roadshow out and about across the county and beyond. The aim of the Roadshow is to inspire and educate the general public about farming and where their food comes from. From Farm to Fork, the journey of eggs, milk and meat is explained by our volunteers, with the help of ‘Clover’ the wooden dairy cow, and our jig-animals, Ditto the Lamb, Clarissa the beef cow and Percy the Pig. These jig-animals are always a huge hit with parents and children, and are fantastic in helping the public reconnect with where their food comes from and how it is produced.

Our Farm to Fork Roadshow wouldn’t be the same without farm animals of course and we regularly bring day old chicks for children to hold, sheep, lambs, dairy cows and their calves for the public to meet.

Having had the Farm to Fork Roadshow go into two Barclays Bank branches locally, and also to an inner city school in Manchester, where their playing fields were turned into a farm for the day, it is an extremely diverse and adaptable Roadshow, which proves extremely popular wherever it goes.

Volunteers

We are always looking for new and enthusiastic volunteers to help out at our many events! By assisting at one or more of our events throughout the calendar you are supporting our charitable aims and objectives to promote and improve Agriculture and Horticulture.

This can be through events such as Country Fest, or the County Show – that share and promote best practice and new ideas or through our School visits, Open Farm school Days and farm to fork events where we have the chance to reach and educate a wide range of people. From selling tickets, car parking, stewarding or helping with show set up there really is a role for everyone.

If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer please get in touch – manager@westmorland.org.uk

Rural Links

Rural Links is an initiative set up by Westmorland County Agricultural Society which focuses on developing the understanding of the countryside, agriculture and rural life and promoting its importance both to people who live in rural areas and to the wider community through volunteer-led events.

Our aim is to spread the message as broadly as possible, and to encourage people from all walks of life to learn about the essential part agriculture and farming plays nationally and globally.

Rural Links works with schools in our biennial Farm Open Days and also takes the ‘Farm to Fork Roadshow’ out to local events, whilst being linked with other rural organisations and companies, in order to coordinate resources and to enhance relationships.

The initiative enables WCAS to help fulfil its role as an Agricultural Society working with the Rural Community in mind to maintain what has always been a vibrant way of life, as well as moving forward and addressing the current issues facing agriculture and making it accessible to the wider community.