West Town Farm, Ide

11/09/2026

We’ve been asked a few times whether we are doing our pumpkin patch this year.

Kate, myself and Vicki sat down at the start of the year and all agreed that growing the pumpkins seemed like a waste of our resources. Space is so limited on the farm, and the idea of growing something that is ultimately thrown away just doesn’t sit right with us.

Our soil is so precious, as is water, especially after the summer we’ve just had. We need to either use the land to grow food or for the animals to feed from.

We do want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has come along to our pumpkin picking days over the years. We loved having everyone on the farm, and we really enjoyed making the spooky trail too.

Having said all that, Andy (the not-so-retired farmer) couldn’t quite bring himself to not grow any pumpkins. It’s a habit he’s had for over 15 years! So, alongside the squash he’s grown, he threw a few pumpkin seeds in as well.

So, during October, we will have the odd pumpkin or two available to buy in the farm shop.

Next year we will celebrate our harvest on the farm and have an open day. We've just not got ourselves organised this year, our bad!

We had a beautiful wedding on the farm last week. I took one photo. Ha! More to follow from the pro.

Some spaces available in the shepherds hut for cosy autumn stays.

08/09/2026

It’s lighting the log burner time in the shepherd’s hut.

This time of year is when the hut becomes such a cosy, warm and magical little hideaway. The fire on, a bit of peace and quiet, and a chance to properly switch off.

We still have some midweek stays available and a couple of weekends in October.

Come and cosy up for a few days.

You can book via a link in bio.

04/09/2026

Kate, Simon and Oscar spent Sunday shearing and weaning the ram lambs, plus collecting poo samples for FEC (faecal egg counting) to check whether they need worming. Who doesn’t like collecting poo?

Andy and myself twinning at work this week. Though, my favourite parts have to be helping Andy move some of his cows and then the rain came. Phew. Could’ve cried.

We also lost one of the calves through the bush. Just off he went, running through Shillingford Organics fields (apologies!). Andy’s command to me was, 'Run up that hedge line, try and beat the calf to the top to stop him getting to the road.'

Nothing like running up a hill trying to beat a four-legged animal. Flipping did it though. He's my new favourite calf.

28/08/2026

This week marks 10 years since I started my role at West Town Farm. I remember coming for the job interview and afterwards went for a walk around to see the farm with Andy. The moment we walked along the old Trainline and I saw THAT view at the end, I knew this place was very special.

It's been a wild ride, we've hosted many weddings, parties, picked pumpkins, picked apples, welcomed 1000s of people on the farm, survived a pandemic, grew 2 babies, grew our farm shop and laughed/cried our way through it all. I blooming love working on the farm. Thank you to Andy , Kate and Vicki for making it super special. You guys are good ones.

21/08/2026

We've been refurbishing and decorating our beautiful farm yard, event barn and classroom for the upcoming hire season.

After a busy Summer of weddings, parties, first aid courses, art classes and workshops we're excited for the Autumn season and are on the look out for new hosts!

If you have ideas for events, away days or creative workshops, please get in touch.

16/08/2026

Take a look at these, well done Ed Coleman Weddings for capturing the wonder of the day. Thank you Lily and Dom for choosing us as your venue for your big day. The bridesmaids speech will be a difficult one to beat.

We have a couple of remaining slots for weddings in 2027. Get in touch !

14/08/2026

Midway through the summer holidays, I've explored parts of the farm I didn't even know existed. Mainly thanks to Simon clearing areas that had been lost to brambles. It's so much fun letting the kids lead me around. Arthur is great at taking us to the tastiest blackberry bushes and damson trees. The plums and pears are nearly ready too!

beautiful cows were hiding in the shade as I took a stroll through the fields. I've never seen the farm this dry. It's quite depressing.

Bring on the rain..

13/08/2026

We put together a little list of some of our favourite things to do in and around Exeter.

Our beautiful shepherd’s hut is just 3 miles from the city centre, but you’re totally tucked away in our oldest orchard.

August is fully booked, but we still have some space in September. Plus, we’re offering 15% off when you book via our website using the code SUMMERSEASON26.

Have a read of our blog for some ideas for your stay

Lilac bakery
Boatyard Cafe & Bakery
Shillingford Organics

If you're staying at West Town Farm, either in our beautiful Shepherd's Hut, Bell Tents or Camping Field, we have gathered a list of our favourite local things to see and do...PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK:Shillingford Organics Farm Shop & Cafe.Cowick St, Exeter.Alma CafeIf you're passionate about coffee,...

11/08/2026

I've been searching everywhere for an old pic of the shop, but can't find one from the very beginning. The 'before' shot here is from 2018. We'd started selling a few extra items as well as our meat.

Fast forward 8 years and we now stock over 100 different items. Our freezer stocks meat from 6 different producers, all local. It's impossible to take a good shot of the shop. Yes, we need to repaint the floor!

I love where we've come to with the shop and look forward to continuing to grow it. Our next thing to do is make the self-service technology a bit easier.

We are small scale, so the meat is generally available frozen. However, we have fresh meat every few months and always let our mailing list know when that will be.

We are open every day.

07/08/2026

Dry, so dry. So many stresses coming with this hot weather.. I know all farmers, growers and everyone in between is feeling that worry right now.

We have a couple of weeks on the farm now where things calm down a bit. Focusing on being a mumma and learning to step back from my role on the farm, I have never been great at taking my holiday.

Loved these little l circles of light reflected in the barn, never seen them before.

Andy, myself and my eldest spent a morning watering the squash. It actually started raining whilst we did it, which felt nice. Obviously not enough though!