The Bottom Line
Farmer Palmer's Farm Park is a delightful introduction to farm animals for little ones who have never been to a farm before. Much of it is under cover, so it's an ideal holiday excursion to keep small children amused when the weather turns cold or wet. Staff are charming and the whole experience is safe, clean and fun for little ones.Essentials
- What: A clean, sweet smelling, fairy tale farm for children
- Where:Organford, Poole, Dorset BH16 6EU
- Tel:+44(0)1202 622 022
- Open:
- February 9 to March 15, and October 26 to November 2, daily 10a.m. to 4p.m.
- March 16 to October 25, daily 10a.m. to 5:30p.m.
- November 2 to December 28, Fridays and weekends, 10a.m. to 4p.m.
- Admission:Family and concession prices available, season passes, under 3s free.
- Visit their website
Bottle Fed Lambs and Gillian the Cow
It's feeding time at Farmer Palmer's Farm and 20 young lamb are eager to be fed. Seated around a stage-like clearing in Farmer Palmer's animal barn are about 50 small children and their parents. Some are holding bottles of milk. I don't know who is squealing louder, the children or the lambs. Farmer Palmer and his helpers(there really is a Farmer Palmer - in fact two, a junior and a senior) is encouraging the children to squeal and clap louder. "Call the lambs," he shouts. "Call the lambs". The hungry lambs are released and come careening out of their pen. Within seconds, every child holding a bottle is feeding a greedy lamb.This is the kind of "farm" experience to be had at Farmer Palmer's Farm - and it's evident from the signs of fun being had by all, that it is a charming and non-threatening way to introduce very young children to farm animals. Later, when Farmer Palmer, the personable Philip Palmer, milks Gillian - "We have regulars, and they named her, so I can't change the name." - he uses a milking machine and he starts her off by pumping her tail. But at the end, all the children know for certain where milk comes from and they all rush up to pat Gillian.
There's a Palmers-Farm-cow-shaped bouncy castle, an inexpensive restaurant with homemade, child-friendly food, a "straw mountain" of bales and slides, undercover as well as indoor soft play areas and a play barn. Older children and their parents can try a pedal go-cart track while the younger ones can pedal little play tractors.
If it all seems a bit sanitized (literally - they use crushed oyster shells to absorb odors so that even the goats don't smell goaty), the children don't seem to notice. And watching a little girl of about two toddle along in her wellington boots beside a tiny, kune kune piglet - which happened to be dressed in a T-shirt, it somehow all made sense.
There are a lot of farm parks around and, to be honest, Farmer Palmer's is not the sort of attraction you might cross the country for. But, if you are already planning a family vacation in Dorset, it's an ideal way to entertain young children while being very entertained yourself.
