THE FARM
Our Story So Far
While doing her teacher training, Lily began to dream of a farm where children could experience first hand the benefits of working with animals, growing food and observing nature in all of its aspects.
She spent the next ten years working in alternative schools across the South West. During this time she became even more convinced that what children and young people desperately need is a place where, especially in an age dominated by social media and screens, they could connect to nature.
Inspired by her own childhood on a dairy farm, and a farmhouse that became a haven for local artists, musicians and seasonal workers, Lily decided to move back home and work with her parents to fulfil her dream. And so Tokes Farm Education was born.
THE FARM
Nestling east of the A350, Tokes Farm combines the new and the old. The buildings may be new but the 86 acres of organic pasture are surrounded by 200-year-old oak trees as well as a strip of ancient woodland. The farm is home to a range of livestock and is 100% organic. We rear organic calves before moving them to join the milking herd on our partner farm.
Our flock of sheep headed up by Fleur, our eldest ewe, are a mixture of native Dorset Down and Jacobs. We recently added two Black Welsh Mountains for diversity and interest.
Our latest addition are Patti and Pan, two wonderful goats who have quickly become key members of the Tokes family!
Our hens provide us with delicious eggs while Boris the cockerel wakes us up at dawn.
Vegetables flourish in our market garden and kitchen garden – suitably sited with wheelchair access next to our school house.
Our timber-framed school house, built in just two and a half months by super-star team Jules Scott Bolton, Lucy Portman and Si Davis who all so generously donated their time to the project, is a multi functional meeting space. Here we warm up around the wood burner on wet, grey winter days, hold lessons when we can’t be outside, run cookery, arts and crafts classes and more.
