Local charity Bath City Farm is set to use its Facebook page to broadcast live animal feeding from the farm every Saturday morning, keeping people in touch with farm life as they stay at home.
The pigs at Bath City Farm | Photo © Jennifer Kelly Photography
Starting at 11am each week, fans of the farm will be able to see their favourite animals as Joe Keppie-Bray takes people on a virtual tour of the route that he follows to give the animals brunch.
The farm’s buildings, café and toilets are closed until further notice and all project groups, volunteering, bookings and events have now been suspended.
Helen Fisher, Farm Manager, said: “We know that the animals mean so much to our visitors and we wanted to give everyone the chance to see how they are doing.
“This weekly Facebook Live is a great way to keep in touch with your favourites, whether the goats or pigs, and have a unique insight into the life of the farm.”
The animal feeding route includes the Feathered Friends enclosure with the hens and two rabbits, Thumper and Pumpkin, Pam the pig and piglets, Shetland ponies Dougie and Dougal and the goat enclosures.
It is also a chance to check in on the hens and ducks and see how many eggs have been laid overnight.
There will also be updates on how the wildlife on the farm is faring, such as the tadpoles in the ponds.
As Joe walks around the farm, there will be an opportunity to ask him questions about the animals as the arrival of spring sees the birds build their nests and the trees and hedgerows come to life.
The team of staff at the farm is also busy working hard to keep in touch and support its community of regular volunteers.
For many who volunteer, being at the farm might be the only time that they spend with other people. Staff are regularly phoning round to check in and see how people are doing and making sure that they are okay.
Lunchtimes are an important part of life on the farm, with volunteers eating together and spending time catching up. It might be that this is the only cooked meal that they have in a week.
That is why farm staff have been cooking, packing and delivering food to help people in the local community; so far more than 250 portions have been made.
Helen Fisher added: “A core part of what we do at the farm is help nourish people and allow them to grow in confidence. At this difficult time for many we want to do our bit to help our community of volunteers.”
To help support the work of Bath City Farm, you can donate via https://localgiving.org/donation/bathcityfarm.
All the money donated will help feed the animals and support the charity’s work in the local community.
Bath City Farm is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2020. The farm was set up by local people, who campaigned to save the 37-acre green place located between Twerton and Southdown, and establish a city farm back in 1995.
