Summer at the Collingwood Children’s Farm has been filled with baby animals, flowers, produce, music and NO LOCKDOWNS!
It’s been a joy to welcome members, regulars and new visitors to the farm over the last three months as restrictions ease and the calendar fills up.
The Farm babies are all growing up and sometimes it’s hard to tell who is the adult and who is the youngster. Some of the lambs are nearly as big as their Mums now and they are excited to meet the public face to face.
The goat kids are finally looking in proportion and their ears don’t look half the size of their bodies anymore. It will be a bit longer before the public get to go into their paddock but they can be petted through the fence.
Guinea pig cuddles are a perennial favourite for our younger visitors (and not so young!). We usually have the three 30 minute sessions every day, starting at 10.30am.
We’ve had weddings on most weekends over summer and autumn is looking even busier, as couples make up for cancellations over the past two years. The heritage oak tree is the venue for many of the ceremonies as well as the Stables Paddock by the Birrarung. Receptions are in our rustic barn or in a hired marquee in the paddock.
Our birthday party packages at the Farm have been extremely popular since we launched them late last year. Nearly every weekend until May is booked out and we have had lots of very happy party guests. The Basic Birthday Package includes an all-weather marquee, tables and hay bale seating. Private guinea pig cuddles are also available as an optional add-on.
The Farm’s cut flower garden, which was planted in spring, has been an amazing success over summer, with hundreds of flower bunches sold at the Farm Gate, Farmer’s Market and online.
The beautiful fresh produce available at Farm Gate looks even better now with some purpose built shelves to protect it from the wind, rain and sun.
It will also reduce set up and pack down time. There are plans to add a fridge for salad mix, herbs and other greens that
suffer from heat stress.
Farm Gate produce is available from Monday to Friday, with the Farm having an extensive produce stall at the Abbotsford Farmer’s Market every Saturday.
A chimney hive has recently been installed in the orchard as part of our partnership with the Victorian Apiarists Association Melbourne.
This hive and the bees are the same as the other hives but it has a long chimney for an entrance.
This guides the bees up to about three metres above ground before they fly out to forage, making it safer for both farm visitors and bees.
