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Tel. 01579
370292 | email: martin@deerparkfarmcottages.co.uk
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Farming Today at Deer Park Farm Covering 280 acres (113 hectares), Deer Park
Farm is a good example of a Westcountry mixed farm, with cattle, sheep
and various It is farmed by the Howlett family, who place a strong emphasis on protecting the environment and enabling the public to learn more about British agriculture and the countryside. The information
panel below is one from a series displayed in our farm education centre.
Click on an element in the panel to |
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The Farming Landscape The Tamar Valley's characteristic patchwork pattern
of fields can be seen at Deer Park farm, with walls and hedges following
the natural slopes of the land. The layout of our fields, which vary
from 1 to 20 acres in size, has remained largely unchanged for 150 years. However, during this time, there have been huge changes
in farming. The increasing size of agricultural machinery brings new
challenges in working fields originally laid outin the days of horse-power.
Modern buildings allow Amidst all this change, Environmental Stewardship
agreements like that here at Deer Park Farm can help to ensure the
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Livestock | |||||||||||||
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As on most livestock farms, a Collie dog assists with stock handling - Ross, the sheepdog, is pictured right. |
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To view or download our
Deer Park Farm sheep and lambing information card, click here. |
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We have a beef suckler herd of continental cross-bred
cows The meat produced on the farm is sold locally to
Jaspers |
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In addition, we also have a fold
of Highland Cattle,
with their distinctive horns. They are primarily used for environmental grazing under the Stewardship scheme. |
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Find out more about livestock
farming on a poster from the Farming and Countryside Education
website - click here to download the poster. |
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Most
recently, Miscanthus, which is commonly known as Elephant
Grass This is a renewable energy
crop, and its fields also provide a good habitat for The stems - which, unlike Bamboo, are solid rather
than hollow - are harvested |
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To view or download our Deer Park Farm Miscanthus information card, click here. | |||||||||||||
Growing Crops | |||||||||||||
To feed the livestock, the farm aims Crops grown on the farm include |
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Barley and oats are harvested in August,
using our combine harvester. We harvest the beans in September and forage maize, by contractors, in October. |
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Silage production continues throughout the summer.
Silage is, in effect, naturally pickled grass, and provides
a palatable and The remainder of the farmland supports permanent pasture, which provides grazing for our livestock. |
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Find out more about growing
crops on a poster from the Farming and Countryside Education website
- click here to download the poster. |
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Like many farm businesses, the Howletts have diversified into other activities. |
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Because the farm formerly lay within the historic royal Deer Park, there are no Public Footpaths across its land. However, access for the public is offered along Permissive Paths, and through frequent farm walks and open days. |
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In particular, the family spends time on leading educational
visits for schools
For more about Farm visits, click here. |
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A good range of educational
resources for Primary Schools - including an Activity Booklet and video
- is available from the Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) website. Click here to access the Primary School resources. |
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Home | Farming Today | Wildlife | History & Heritage | Visit Information | Contact Us (c) Deer Park Farm 2019. Website design by Graphic Words |
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