Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster

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!

01/06/2024

🚜 Tractor Trailer Rides at Open Farm Sunday

Guests will be able to hop into one of our 5 trailers for a fun and informative trailer ride through fields, down hedged avenues and to the Dairy where milking will take place and calves are fed.

STOP 1: ARABLE
Jump off the trailer and take a look at growing crops, soil health and carbon footprinting and how machinery works on the land..
There will be a baling demonstration as well as live ploughing, ground preparation and drilling of maize

STOP 2: THE DAIRY
Guests will be given a tour of the milking parlour, talked through the cycle of a dairy cow and also where it all starts in the calving units. There might even be a chance to feed a calf!

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!

27/05/2024

So glad the Synergy Farm Health team are joining us on 9th June

Putting farming centre stage 🐄🐏🚜👩‍🌾

We are really looking forward to Open Farm Sunday!

We are delighted to be part of this event nr Beaminster on Sunday 9th June, with friends and clients from The Melplash Agricultural Society and the Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster.

All over the UK farmers are opening their gates as they firmly believe that the public need to connect with where their food comes from.

Synergy are supporting by being present at events across our area, helping visitors to
🚜connect with farmers & the countryside
🦋learn about farming with nature & food production
👉inspire the next generation

15/05/2024

We’re so happy to be working with the The Melplash Agricultural Society again this year on that great day out!

We are just over 3 weeks away from Open Farm Sunday on 9th June 2024. A fantastic event celebrating all things farming. This year it will be held at Francis Buglers DT8 3PP in conjunction with Cooper-Dean Estates, Knowle Farm and

https://www.discoverfarming.co.uk/news/open-farm-sunday-sunday-9-june-beaminster-dt8-3pp/

15/05/2024

OPEN FARM SUNDAY 2024
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Join the Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster, the Cooper-Dean Estate Knowle Farm and the Melplash Agricultural Society for a day of fun on the farm at Francis Bugler Ltd in Beaminster.
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There will be tractor trailer rides, animals, farm machinery and lots of displays and demonstrations showing the diversity of life in the countryside and where our food comes from.
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We have food trucks lined up as well as Baboo Gelato Ice cream amongst other tasty treats.
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This is a great FREE family day out.
Open 10am - 4pm Sunday 9th June.
at Francis Bugler Ltd, Broadwindsor Road, Beaminster, DT8 3PP


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28/03/2024

Today we joined the team in their classroom at for a visit from Sir Ed Davey.

The Lib Dem leader came to hear about the work Discover Farming do to educate children on all things farming, and how they do so by working with the schools’ curriculum.

The MP, joined by Dorset’s candidate, Edward Morello , listened to Discover Farming organisers William Bowditch and George Streatfeild before taking a tour of the Farm Shop with Simon Holland.

17/01/2024

Talking Orchards!

A great kick off to the year for the Marshwood Vale Farmers Cluster. We had a great talk from Prof Tom Brereton about the birds and insects that live and help our Orchards grow and flourish. Although the number of Orchards in the UK have diminished massively in the past 100 years, they are now slowly on the increase.

Then followed by Nick Poole who runs the fantastic west Milton Cider Co. He told us about the ancient UK apple trees, the different ways orchards are planted and even gave us some samples of a variety of his ciders.

And we have exciting plans for our upcoming events that we shared with group. Keep and eye out!