Volunteers relax on a farm working holiday

Participants on a National Trust farm working holiday have spent a very enjoyable week helping out down on the farm.
The volunteer holiday-makers have helped farmer Paul Parfitt and rangers Laura, Nick and Greg run the 300 acre mixed farm at Chyvarloe, near Helston in Cornwall.

This working holiday is, we think, unique in the Trust calendar and involves participants in a wide-range of farming tasks including old favourites like mucking out the pigs. They have also brought in the cows for TB testing, fed all the stock morning and evening, carried out ploughing, fixed the fences, restored some Cornish hedging and successfully herded the flock of Soay sheep, ready to be wormed and separated for market.



holidaymakers select turkeys for christmas

 The week began with a Farm open day attended by 360 locals and tourists. The volunteers willingly pitched in and organised the car parking, refreshments and entrance gate and also held the turkeys for Christmas selection by the public.

Fine food and lots of it (plus the occasional bottle of Pinot Grigiot) also played a big part in proceedings, as well as trips to the Minnack theatre, Cadgwith for folk singing and competitive games of jenga and cluedo.

The farm holiday is definitely on the calendar for next year, and like all working holidays, it's the participants themselves that made it the success it was. So, a big thank you and well done to all of them!

Nick