Sunday 13th April 2025 12-4pm
Bosavern Community farm, St Just, TR19 7RD
Our Spring Open Day is nearly here! This seasonal event is held just before Easter each year and is fast becoming something of a green fayre. Come and support local, ethical, community food growing, see some traditional land-based skills and connect with like-minded people interested in furthering healthy, sustainable living. It is suitable for all ages with plenty of seating and family-friendly activities. Expect a buzzing afternoon for all the family packed with lots of stalls selling truly beautiful hand-made gifts (baskets, bowls, spoons, merch) and produce, talks, tours, plants, scything, wool-spinning, basket-weaving, wood-turning, knife-sharpening demos, energy advice, ethical finance tips, conservation charities, free family crafts and games. Our volunteers will serve a selection of simple, freshly cooked, vegetarian dishes (not to mention the cakes!) and very welcoming company. New and familiar faces are all very welcome. Photos from previous years here.
What to wear, what to bring, what to expect
WHAT TO WEAR: Held in the farmyard, there will be marquees and indoor areas but some of the fun activities are outdoors and its a very exposed site. If the weather is wild, you’ll want your big coat and a woolly hat, if its sunny, you’ll want a sunhat and sunblock. Trainers or light boots are recommended footwear to get the most out of the farm tours and field games!
BRING YOUR TOOLS: If you have hand tools like shears, mower blades, kitchen knives or scissors which need sharpening, please bring them along (wrapped in a suitably safe covering / bag) as Victor will be offering a tool-sharpening service (c. £2 per item), demos and advice in the Workshop.
BRING SEEDS & PLANTS: As well as our own veg and wildflower plants for sale, we will also have a seed swap area so please bring any spares in an envelope, clearly labelled with dates you collected/bought them and any expiry dates. **We are keen to hear in advance from anyone else interested in selling or donating plants (info@bosaverncommunityfarm.org.uk) *
BRING QUESTIONS & TIPS: The National Energy Action charity will have an information and advice stand. There will be a short workshop for people to share top tips and questions on the topic of ethical finance facilitated by Manda Brookman, Holly Whitelaw will give a soil talk and there will be a farm tour. Enquire about Bosavern veg boxes, volunteering opportunities, work experience, Shareholder Membership and allotments.
BRING A SHOPPING BAG! Bring a bag, trug or you might even want to bring your wheelbarrow for all your open day goodies! (see stalls list below)
BRING A FRIEND / RELATIVE: Surprisingly, lots of people still don’t know that Bosavern exists even though we’ve been running since 2010. Help us extend our reach by bringing a friend, relative. Perhaps you know someone who could do with more connection and might like to volunteer? Coming to the farm for an open day is a great way to start.
DOGS: Well behaved dogs are welcome but it is a busy event with lots of children, some confined spaces and we do have chickens on site. All dogs are to be kept on a lead at all times please.
STALLS SELLING FOOD, GARDEN SUPPLIES, GIFTS & CRAFTS*
- Bosavern Community Farm Shop stocked high with fresh farm produce, Bosavern mugs, T-shirts, tote bags plus other groceries from Organic and Cornish suppliers (bread, dairy, tins, packed goods)
- Quality, peat-free compost, veg seeds and municipal garden waste compost from Splattenridden, sold by the bag or barrow! Enquire in farm shop.
- Vegetarian lunch, tea & cakes
- Hand-carved spoons from Nick and Bill
- French preserves from ‘Sophie’s Touch’
- Tin Coast Cheeses
ACTIVITIES*
- Family crafts
- Basket weaving demo
- Wool spinning demo
- Spoon carving demo
- Tool-sharpening demo
- Farm Tour
- Soil Talk
- Ethical Finance knowledge-share
Field games to end the day!*
INFORMATION & CONSERVATION STALLS*
- Bosavern Volunteering, Veg Boxes, Community growing allotment plots & Shareholder Membership: Find out more about the weekly indoor, and outdoor volunteering activities at the farm, from cookery to tree-planting, wildflower propagation to chickens, from horticulture to retail and deliveries, join as a Bosavern Member (from £20), add your name to our allotment list or sign up for a weekly or fortnightly Veg Box / grocery delivery
- Bosavern Tree Group
- CREST (Cornish Hedging)
- National Trust
- Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- National Energy Action
- Bosavern Wildflower Project
- Hedgepigs and Hoglets
RAFFLE PRIZES
Two days before we had almost no prizes to offer you, but in true community style, local businesses suddenly rallied and are generously offering this glorious array of goodies for raffle prize winners! We would like to thank all our generous donors.
- A Bosavern Veg Box inc. eggs
- Gardening Set from ‘St Just DIY’
- £50 Voucher for the Acorn Theatre
- Gurnard’s Head / Coastguard Lunch for Two
- 2 x adult Day Trip tickets to the Isles of Scilly
- 2 x Season Tickets for Trewidden Gardens
- 4 x Tickets for Tremenheere Sculpture Garden
- 2 x Tickets for the Minack Theatre
- Bouquet Voucher, Wild West Flowers
- Wine Tasting for two and tour of Polgoon
- Clemo’s Kilner Jar Set
- £10 Leswidden Voucher
- Teddy Bear from Medequip
DRAFT SCHEDULE (subject to change)
12:00 Arrivals
12:15 Welcome
12:45 Ethical Finance – knowledge share in packing shed facilitated by Manda Brookman
1:45pm Farm Tour – with Head Grower Hugh Taylor & Tree Group Lead Terry Sutcliffe
3pm Soil Talk in packing shed – with Director Holly Whitelaw
3:30pm Raffle draw
3:45 Field Games
4pm Finish & a communal clean-up!
Refreshments, stalls, demos & family crafts will run throughout the event from 12-3:30pm
WEATHER TRAVEL & PARKING
We encourage everyone to arrive by boot, bus or bike where possible. There is a large free car park adjacent to the bus station in St. Just. There will be signs and a rag trail to follow starting from the Square in St Just, to guide you along the 12 minute, field footpath towards the farm, see our sustainable travel page for details. Access to field parking can be hard to predict in Spring, if we can open it up then there will be plenty of parking for all, but if its boggy, the whole field will be closed to vehicles and we will prioritise disabled access only. We do always have a drop-off zone and good relations with our neighbours as overflow to help accommodate people with disabilities. We won’t know whether the field is dry enough for all until nearer the time so please follow us on social media and check the website for updates. We rarely cancel due to rain or it its a bit blowy because we know St Justers are a hardy bunch who know how to have fun whatever the weather. However, in the event of extreme storms and high winds, any last minute announcements will be made on social media by 10am on the day
Instagram
Facebook
*Stalls, activities and timings may be subject to change
(reserve date 20th Apr).