We can set up on grass, on tarmac, or on concrete.
We can generally adapt ourselves to most places & spaces but will need space to park our vehicle(s) & trailer(s), & access to walk equipment & animals to the event site.
If there is limited access to your site please contact us to discuss.
Please also note that if we are bringing our pig we will also need to have our livestock trailer actually at the event site.
Click here for a typical layout for a single trailer event.
Click here for a typical layout for a double trailer event.
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- Do you need your car(s) & trailer(s) next to the site?
We carry essential equipment in our trailers & cars, so we need them close by. In case an animal is ill or stressed, we may need to be able to confine them to our trailer if necessary.
We have calculated our costs on setting up & clearing away on the presumption we don’t have to carry animal pens, gazebos, water, feed or lead/carry our animals too far to the site.
Please also note that if we are bringing our pig we will also need to have our livestock trailer actually at the event site as the pig gets displayed inside the trailer.
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- Do you have Public Liability Insurance?
Yes, we have Public Liability Insurance for £5 million.
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- Should I be worried about e-Coli?
With regards to the specific risks presented by e-Coli, we ensure that we are aware & follow the latest advice contained within the Industry Code of Practice.
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- What do we need to provide?
The Mobile Farm comes pretty self contained & doesn’t normally require anything but occasionally we may require access to a cold water tap.
Most importantly Schools & nurseries will need to:
Provide teachers &/or teaching assistants to accompany each visiting group.
Provide hand washing facilities & supervision to ensure pupils wash their hands after their visits. (Note: we can provide mobile sinks if necessary – these are not normally practical for school visits)
Ensure pupils with allergies are appropriately protected.
Ensure any pupils with cuts or grazes have them covered with waterproof plasters prior to visiting the farm.
Confirm there is no livestock (cows, sheep, goats or pigs) present at the venue & also that the venue does not have a County Parish Holding (CPH) number.
Private bookings (e.g. birthday parties or christenings) will need to:
Provide responsible adult(s) to supervise the children.
Provide hand washing facilities. (Note: we can provide mobile sinks if necessary for outside public events, an extra charge will apply)
Ensure children with allergies are appropriately protected.
Ensure children with cuts or grazes have them covered with waterproof plasters prior to visiting the farm.
Confirm there is no livestock (cows, sheep, goats or pigs) present at the venue & also that the venue does not have a County Parish Holding (CPH) number.
Public bookings (e.g. shops, fetes, fayres etc) will need to:
Provide hand washing facilities. (Note: we can provide mobile sinks if necessary for outside public events, an extra charge will apply)
Confirm there is no livestock (cows, sheep, goats or pigs) present at the venue & also that the venue does not have a County Parish Holding (CPH) number.
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- What do you bring with you?
Together with the animals we bring:
Pens (sheep hurdles), animal feed, water, cages for the poultry & rabbits, gazebos, display boards & information boards, hand washing gel, rubber mats, straw, hay, animal bedding, duck pool, etc.
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- What animals can you bring with you?
Depending upon the nature of the event & the time of year, we can bring any, or all, of the following animals:
Sheep & Lambs
Boer goats
Pygmy Goats
Calf
Pig
Ducks
Chickens
Rabbits
Miniature Pony
Donkey
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- How big should school visiting groups be & how long does each group need?
For schools we have found that it is often better to split the pupils into groups of 10 to 15 & have a duration of around 20 - 30 minutes - but how you split your classes is your decision & we are happy to go along with whatever is best for you, your staff & children.
For schools we can on request, conduct a ‘tour’ of all the animals for each group & with a commentary appropriate for the age group.
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- How many pupils can you see in a day?
We can see a maximum of 250 children per day.
The following answers assume a typical school day (9am start, a short break at lunch & finish at 3pm) & assumes 15 children in a group.
Single trailer events:
We would suggest an average of 20 - 30 minutes per group. This means we could get through around 10 groups a day or about 150 children in total. As there are a minimum of 2 Mobile Farm staff, groups can overlap slightly if one group is slightly slower than scheduled.
Double trailer events:
We would suggest an average of 30 - 40 minutes per group, but could have 2 sets of children going around at a time. This means we could get through around 14 groups a day or about 210 children in total. As there are a minimum of 3 Mobile Farm staff, groups can overlap slightly if one group is slightly slower than scheduled.
The timings & numbers of children are only suggested guidelines & schools can alter these as they see fit.
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- Can you do multi-day visits?
Yes, for larger schools this may be a more suitable option. Providing we are sited in a secure area where we can leave things overnight, we can normally make a small discount to our standard daily rates for multi-day vists.
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- Can the children touch or handle the animals?
We encourage children to stroke & touch our animals & to feel their fur/feathers/hair/skin/horn etc. However we do normally not let children ‘pick up’ the animals during school visits, but we can make special arrangements if required (e.g. children or adults with special needs or limited mobility).
All our animals are very friendly & are completely used to meeting visitors, however, some animals have very sharp teeth & may mistake fingers for food! Please ensure children are told not to feed any of our animals & are told not to put their fingers near the animals’ mouths – especially the pig, the pony, the donkey & our rabbits.
Also, please be aware that goats may nibble clothing, hair & anything else they can reach!
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- How do you clean up after your visit?
If we are set up on tarmac or concrete then we will put rubber mats down underneath the animals to contain their bedding & reduce contamination from animal waste. We will also sweep up & if necessary, apply disinfectant to the area prior to us leaving. As far as is practicable, animal faeces are removed from the animals’ pens as the day progresses. We take all this animal waste away with us.
If we are set up on grass we will normally have the animals direct on the grass. After the event we will sweep and rake the area. If necessary we also ‘water in’ any remaining traces of our visits. It should be noted that it is often easy to see where we have been, because the grass has been eaten down in the penned areas & if it is wet, there may be muddy foot-prints.
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- How long do you need to set up & clean up?
We need 60 to 90 minutes to set up prior to the arrival of the first group of visitors. We can normally clear up in about 60 minutes.
If access if particularly difficult these times may increase & our prices will alter accordingly.
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- How many Mobile Farm staff accompany each visit?
A single animal type visit will have a single member of staff.
A single trailer visit will be accompanied by 2 Mobile Farm staff.
A double trailer visit will have 3 Mobile Farm staff.
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- Do your staff have DBS checks?
We all have DBS checks. However no unaccompanied children can be left with Mobile Farm staff as the children are always the responsibility of the school, nursery staff, parents etc depending on the booking.
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- What age group is your farm visit for?
We have found that farm visits are a valuable & enjoyable experience for all ages, cultures & abilities. The educational visits can be structured around specific subjects & ages whilst the social visits are great for simply bringing young children & farm animals together in a safe & friendly environment.
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We have visited schools, nurseries & businesses across Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester & into parts of Cheshire & Yorkshire.
Click here to see an approximate map of the area we cover.
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- What sorts of clients have you had?
We have worked for local councils, schools, nurseries, museums, universities, charities, shopping centres, garden centres, retail outlets, public houses, health & leisure clubs, care homes, residents groups, children’s centres.
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- What sort of places have you been to?
The Mobile Farm has been set up at primary schools, nurseries, secondary schools, universities, public houses, public parks, museums, shops, retail centres, wildlife reserves, health & leisure clubs & care homes.
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- Which schools, nurseries & other public venues have you been to?
Busy Bodies Nursery, Burnley Wood Children's Centre, Atherton St Georges Primary School, Busy Bodies Nursery, Sarah's Ark Nursery, Busy Bees Ashton House, Lowton J & I Primary School, Primrose Hill After School & Holiday Club, Tottington High School, Grosvenor Rd Primary School Swinton, Parkview Community School, Irk Valley Community School, Pikefold Primary School Blackley, Freckleton Pre-School, Mesne Lea Primary Walkden, St Andrew's Nursery Group Leyland, Wade Hall Children's Centre, Wellfield Children's Centre, Botany Bay, Buckshaw Village Community Centre, Edge Hill University, Creative Support, The Deans Primary School, Crab Lane Primary School, Christchurch C of E Primary School, Hillside Nursery School, Bradley Primary School, Chorley Council Playday, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, HomeStart, Penwortham Fun Day , Wood Fold Early Birds - Standish, Appley Bridge Village Hall, Camberwell Park, Platt Bridge Nursery, Appletree Nursery School, English Martyrs, St Margarets Mary's Infants, The Valley Community School, Kidz2gether, Moss Side County Primary School, Deeplish Primary School, St Margaret's C of E School, Lammack Primary School, Claremont Primary School, All Saints C of E Primary School, High Legh Garden Centre, Victoria Gallery Museum Liverpool, St Georges Shopping Centre Preston, Lady Green Garden Centre, St. Peter’s RC Primary, Rossendale Primary, Lowton Saint Marys, All Saints Primary School Rochdale, St Hildas C of E Primary Oldham, Medlock Valley Community School, Our Lady & St Edwards Primary School, Willowtree Primary Salford, Stoneygate Nursery, Kings Road Primary School, Golborne Community Primary School & Nursery, Bromley Cross Summer Fayre, St Mary's RC Primary School Middleton, Lady Green Garden Centre, St. Edmund's R.C. Primary School , Seymour Park Primary, All Saints Primary, Whitegate Children's Centre, Busy Bees Lancaster, Iqra Education Centre, Abram C of E Primary School, St Phillips CE Primary, Evergreen Children’s' Day Nursery, Wilmslow Garden Centre, The Ryleys Preparatory School, St James Primary School, Farnworth, St Anne's & St Joseph's Primary School, Hamer Community Primary School, Lea Pre School Preston, Castle Hill Primary Bolton, St Bartholomew's CE Primary, Blackbrook St Mary's Catholic Primary, Springside School, New Greenhall Atherton, St Luke's C E Primary School, St Chad's RC Primary School, Astley Park Chorley Council Family Day, St Mary's C of E Moston, Meadowbank Primary School, St Cecilia's Catholic Infant School, Party in Moor Park - Preston Children's Centre, All Hallows Business, Enterprise & Sports College, Busy Bees Holmes Chapel, Woodsend Community Group , Busy Bees Chorley, Bamber Bridge Children's Centre, Rose & Crown Ulnes Walton, Ince C of E Primary School, Dog & Partridge Charnock Richard, Beechville care Home, Sankey Valley, St. James CE VA Primary School, St Mary Magdalens Accrington, Heskin Hall, Burscough Wharf.
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- What about DEFRA regulations?
We have a ‘Disapply License' that allows us to take our livestock to schools without having a ‘stand-down’ period after every visit.
We will complete all the DEFRA paper work & register all the animal movements with DEFRA.
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- Are your animals & premises inspected by Animal Health Inspectors?
Yes. We have annual inspections.
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- Do you have an animal welfare policy?
Yes. Please click here to see our animal welfare policy.
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In the first instance phone or email us & we will contact you to discuss your needs. We will then send you a booking confirmation form with details of the chosen option, price etc.
Return of this document to us confirms which option you would like & forms the agreement between us around the cost, content, date & timing of the event.
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- What happens if we need to cancel?
In the event of us cancelling we will refund any moneys paid.
If you cancel with at least a month’s notice no fee is payable & we will refund any moneys already paid.
If you cancel with less than one month but more than one day notice, a cancellation fee of £50 is payable.
If you cancel with less than 24 hour’s notice, a charge of £100 is payable.
We reserve the right to reschedule the visit, or change the animals we bring with us in the event of DEFRA movement restrictions.
Also, due to animals being unpredictable, we cannot guarantee that the animals that we bring on the day will exactly match the ones detailed above.
In the event of unforeseen circumstances, we reserve the right to substitute other animals or otherwise amend the list on the day.
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- What happens if it rains?
We bring pop up gazebos which can be erected very quickly.
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- Are you able to provide any additional learning activities?
Yes, if time permits & the activities are booked, agreed & planned for in advance we can provide additional learning activities such as:
Looking at wool, wool processing & wool products
Butter making
Understanding the food chain from farm to dinner plate
More in depth discussion about aspects of farming or of the animal’s life-cycle.
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We are happy for you to take & use photos of our staff, equipment & animals for any purpose. It will be up to the school to determine its own policy & get appropriate permissions to photograph their children. Unless we are asked not to, the Mobile Farm may take photos of the event but will not use any photograph containing children’s faces without the express permission of the school concerned.
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- Can wheelchairs access the mobile farm?
We can normally set up the Mobile Farm in such a way that wheelchair users can access the farm.
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- Are there any equality or diversity issues?
You will need to let us know if you would prefer that we did not bring certain animals to the event, e.g. the pig.
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- Who is responsible for supervising the children?
The school, (teachers, parents, guardians etc) are responsible for supervising any children. The Mobile Farm staff will supervise the animals.
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- What happens during breaks & lunch times?
The Mobile Farm staff will remain with the animals during breaks & lunch periods. If schools wish to utilise these times to organise other activities (e.g. letting other children have a brief look at the animals) then this can normally be accommodated, but please let us know in advance so that we can prepare.
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- Can parents meet the animals?
When we are setting up the farm in the morning or dismantling the farm after school it is important that other people are excluded from the areas as far as possible. This is normally achieved using plastic tape barriers which we can provide. Failure to do this can result in it taking longer for us to set up and not being ready for the first classes. It is often a good idea if a school can provide a teacher or other responsible adult to supervise the area during set-up & dismantling.
If schools would like parents to be able to meet the animals too (& we have found that this has usually been very popular with parents & children) then this should be by organised sessions planned in advance. However, please note that Environmental Health considerations mean that near-by hand washing facilities must be made available to parents who should be told that hand washing is mandatory after touching any animals. If schools wish to organise such sessions then please discuss this with us.
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- What happens during a typical visit by a class to the mobile farm?
When the class come out to the farm, a member of the staff will welcome them and give them brief safety instructions. With our past experience, we have found that the majority of schools prefer to have a fun day, where the children can engage with whichever animals they wish, however, we can tailor the day to suit your needs, for example, we can provide a fun and educational day for your visit.
At the end, we will thank the class for visiting, ask them if they have any questions about what they have seen, and remind them about washing their hands.
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