MORE than 250 people from Somerset visited a Christmas tree farm in the county last Sunday (June 10, 2018) and helped raise £350 for charity as part of Open Farm Sunday.
Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm took part in the event, which is the farming industry’s national open day, on Sunday, June 10 for the second time and fundraised for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).
Reg Hendy from Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm, which is based at Middle Hill Farm in Langford Budville, said: “We were delighted to be supporting Open Farm Sunday for the second time and the event was a huge success.
“During the day, people could walk our Christmas tree plantations and see the trees mid growth when they are a pale green colour. Visitors could also stroll through our woods and bring a picnic to enjoy by our lakes.
“We also held a range of activities to entertain children such as creating a Christmas bauble and taking part in a treasure hunt around the plantation. To add to this, we also hosted a Craft Fayre and 20 local crafters attended and each donated a prize to our raffle in aid of our Charity of the Year, CHSW.
“We would like to say ‘thank you’ to Jackie White Catering, who donated homemade cakes to our refreshment stand and the Wellington Friends Group of CHSW for helping with the refreshments and the raffle. The fundraisers raised a staggering £350 for the charity so thanks to everyone who donated to such a worthy cause.”
The Langford Lakes team were also on hand during the day to answer any questions people had about the plantation.
Reg added: “Our Open Farm Sunday event was a fantastic opportunity for everyone, young and old, to discover first-hand what it takes to run our Christmas tree farm. We can’t wait to take part again next year.”
Open Farm Sunday, managed by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), is one of the farming industry’s biggest success stories. Since the first Open Farm Sunday in 2006, more than 1,500 farmers across the UK have opened their gates and welcomed 1.8 million people onto their farm for one Sunday each year.
Reg added: “We’re based on 40 acres and a woodland runs the length of the plantations, either side of a stream. This area is home to a multitude of plants and wildlife, in particular rare lesser spotted orchids, deer and occasionally otters.
“People who visited us on Open Farm Sunday were able to find out all about how we farm Christmas trees and also how we help and attract wildlife to the farm.”
Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm, which is well-known for its home grown, freshly cut Christmas trees, is a family run farm located close to the nature reserve Langford Heathfield, a mile outside of Langford Budville in Somerset.
The farm is owned and run by Reg and his wife Ann and their two sons, Shaun and Nick. The family has been growing and selling Christmas trees for more than 20 years.
For more information about the farm, please visit www.langfordlakes.co.uk, follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LangfordLakes or log on to www.facebook.com/LangfordLakesChristmasTreeFarm/.