Educational farm celebrates 50th anniversary

A farm is celebrating 50 years since it opened its doors to the wider public.

Easton Farm Park, in the village of Easton near Framlingham, Suffolk, has been open since 1974.

It was the second farm in the UK to open as an educational farm to the public.

Fiona Siddall, farm manager, is the niece of Jimmy Kerr who set it up and said the anniversary was a "special time".

"I was just around in 1974 but I wasn't helping Uncle Jimmy," she explained to BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Uncle Jimmy set the farm up.

"We've got some beautiful Victorian buildings on site and they were starting to become redundant for farming as the machinery got bigger.

"He went to Holland on a farm trip and saw a similar educational farm so he brought it back and set it up."

Prior to 1974, the site had been a working farm.

Many buildings date back to Victorian times, with the only modern part being the dairy from the 1960s.

Today, visitors can come to the farm to feed the animals, enjoy soft play or camp at the site.

It also plays host to the Maverick Festival, which celebrates country/Americana music every July.

Steve Swan, livestock manager, has been at the farm for 23 years.

He has worked with horses all his life and came to Suffolk after meeting his wife.

"I was working with horses down the road and it was a rolling contract that came to an end so Fiona's father came to see me and said he needed someone to take over [the livestock and horses]," he explained.

"I had a chat with him and here I am still 23 years on."

Mr Swan said the farm's offerings had changed a lot in the time he had been there.

"When it was first opened it was mainly an open farm that people wandered around," he added.

"Nowadays people expect more for their money and we have gone with the flow.

"We've put on rides of all descriptions, we have activities going all day long, but apart from that the farm is virtually the same as it always has been."

David Birt, who works at the farm and goes by his nickname of Nobby, has lived his whole life in Easton.

"I was born here in Easton next to the White Horse pub and I'm still in the village now," he explained.

"I started work here in the early 60s before the farm park was even decided to be a farm park.

"It was a working farm, part of the larger farm system when I first came here."

He said the farm had progressed a lot over the years and was well-known by regular visitors.

The site is asking visitors to send in their memories of the farm to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

Memories and photos can be emailed directly to the farm or sent via its Facebook page.

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