By Holly Emslie
Families are invited to get a hands-on look at harvest, farming and where their food comes from when Grains Farm holds its Harvest Family Fun Day on Sunday 6 September from 10am until 4pm.
The event will combine a family day out with an opportunity for children and adults to learn more about one of the busiest and most important times in the farming calendar. Visitors will be able to get up close to tractors, trailers and other farm machinery, discover what different pieces of equipment are used for and see and handle some of the crops grown on the farm.
The event is the second Family Fun Day to be held at Grains Farm, following the success of its first event in May, which attracted around 500 visitors.
Grains Farm opened to the public in 2024, initially holding a small number of events with the aim of giving families an enjoyable way to learn about farming, animals and rural life.
The business is run by Holly Emslie, who does not come from a farming background herself but became involved in farming through her husband. The farm is owned by her husband’s grandparents, with the wider family supporting the growing visitor attraction.
Holly said: “Before I became involved in farming, I would see combines working in the fields or get stuck behind a tractor on the road, but I had no real understanding of everything that was going on behind the scenes.
“Harvest is one of the busiest and most important times of the year on a farm. There is so much more to it than simply seeing a combine in a field. You’ve got the whole process of growing the crop, watching the weather, deciding when it’s ready, the very long days during harvest itself and then all the work afterwards getting everything stored and preparing the fields to start the process again.
“I think unless you grow up around farming, you don’t necessarily get the opportunity to see or understand all of that. That’s something I’d really like Grains Farm to help change.”
Bringing the story of food to life
Barley, oats and wheat are grown on the farm, with the crops used to feed the farm’s Aberdeen Angus and Wagyu cattle. During the Harvest Family Fun Day, Holly hopes to use these crops to help visitors understand not only what is grown in the fields around them, but also how agriculture connects to the food that eventually reaches their plates.
The farm also grows pumpkins, which will take centre stage later in the year when Grains Farm holds its popular pumpkin patch events in October.
Holly added: “I want people to be able to get up close to the machinery rather than just seeing it driving past them on the road. We’ll be explaining what some of the equipment does and giving people the chance to touch and feel some of the crops and see them at different stages.
“For children especially, I think being able to actually see, touch and experience something makes it much easier to understand where their food comes from.
“There are also so many different opportunities within agriculture that people might never know about if they don’t come from a farming background. I certainly didn’t. If we can introduce children and families to farming in a fun and accessible way, hopefully it might spark an interest that stays with them.”
A full family day out
Alongside the farming and harvest activities, the day will feature a range of local stallholders selling everything from local produce to toys and handmade jewellery. Local food business Drumsleed Burger Co., based near Laurencekirk, will also attend with its catering van, serving hot food produced using its own locally reared meat.
Children can enjoy a free bouncy castle, as well as Grains Farm’s existing indoor and outdoor play facilities and the opportunity to visit and feed the farm animals.
Tickets are £8.50 for adults and children aged over two, or a group ticket for any four people is £30.
Parking is free, and use of the bouncy castle is included in admission.
Tickets are available in advance from the Grains Farm website.Website: www.grainsfarm.co.uk
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