Le Rette Farm and Shinewater School Twinning Project: A Day of Learning, Wonder and Shared Passion by Jayne Barnett, Good Food East Sussex Project Officer

Did you know that some female sheep have horns?

That was just one of the many things discovered during a truly inspiring day watching the La Rette Farm and Shinewater School twinning project in action.

From the moment I arrived, it was clear this was more than a farm visit. It was a living, breathing example of passion, sustainability and the belief that children thrive when they connect with the natural world.

A Farm Built on Passion and Purpose

Arriving early gave me the chance to speak with Anna, whose dedication to the welfare of the animals radiates through everything she does. Every creature; sheep, horses, chickens, goats, alpacas, llamas, pig, and tiniest chicks has a name, a story, and a life as stress-free as the team can make it.

Sustainability is woven into the daily rhythm of the farm. After acquiring additional land that had previously been a golf course, the team learned firsthand how water behaves differently on its compacted surface an unexpected factor that contributed to storm flooding. But with new ditches, soil health work and careful planning, the farm is slowly transforming the land for future resilience.

Behind the scenes, Anna and the team juggle enormous workloads sometimes working late into the night while still running a business to support the farm until it becomes self-sustaining.

Welcoming Shinewater School

Thirteen enthusiastic children arrived from Shinewater School. Ten wildlife warriors plus three who had earned their place through exceptional behaviour. Accompanied by the wonderfully organised and calm Mr Gibbons and Ms Mason, the group approached every activity with curiosity and care.

The children gently held young chicks, refreshed their bedding, gave them food and gently placed them into an area with a heat lamp. They also got to name the chicks. Learning about what chicks eat and drink as well as about the lifecycle of an egg. The children placed freshly fertilised eggs into an incubator with a promise they can see their hatching via recording.

Health and safety were taken seriously throughout the day. Handwashing, disinfecting boots and adjusting activities due to bird flu restrictions were seamlessly integrated, without dampening any of the joy.

Meeting the Animals

From a chatty sheepdog to a recuperating ram with plenty to say, the children met animals great and small. I was fascinated to learn that in some breeds, both rams and ewes have horns and that you can tell them apart by the thickness of the horn base.

One standout moment was meeting the emu, Muriel. The enormous, green, marblelike emu egg drew gasps, and the children watched patiently as the bird was allowed out into the barn to get comfortable with such a large audience before greeting small groups at a time.

Lunch came with the happy chaos of muddy boots, straw bales, full stomachs and a strong sense that everyone was learning together.

Digging Into the Soil

After lunch came an important lesson on soil health. What good soil contains, why worms matter, and how to tell an adult worm from a juvenile. Out in the market garden, the hunt began. Soon the air was filled with excited declarations about worm length (with worms carefully returned to their homes afterwards). Each child then planted their own tomato seeds in recycled paper pots, eager to watch something grow long after the day’s visit.

A Day Full of Highlights

 It’s impossible to choose a single highlight, there were simply too many. From holding chicks to studying soil, from meeting an emu to learning about sustainability, the children were engaged, respectful and marvellously enthusiastic. They upheld all five of the farm rules, proudly reciting them from memory before they even entered the farm.

The farm staff were just as energised by the day as the children, even if fuelled mainly by coffee and passion! Their ability to balance risks assessments, health and safety planning, activity preparation, and even filling potholes so the minibus could get in and out safely cannot be overstated. Their dedication made the day seamless.

A Heartfelt Thank You

A huge thank you to Anna, Max, Grace, Mr Gibbons and Ms Mason for welcoming me into such a special day. The Shinewater pupils were a credit to their school, learning with open minds, gentle hands and genuine excitement.

This project is a shining example of what happens when farmers share their knowledge with a younger generation. Many children rarely have the chance to meet baby animals or birds, learn how food is grown or understand the cycle of life. Days like this are priceless.

Our farmers are amazing—resilient, resourceful and deeply committed. Watching their knowledge and passion ignite young minds was a joy, and I cannot wait to see more stories from farms across our county as this twinning initiative continues to grow.

Not forgetting the Food Partnerships who have worked so hard to make this happen. There is more about this project in the Wealden Food Partnership update.

Wealden Food Partnership is currently working with partners across East Sussex in planning the next Connecting Local Buyers & Suppliers event which will take place on Thursday 26^th March 2026. This event will run in partnership with Long Man Brewery and will replace the postponed event that had been planned for October. It will take place at the Long Man Brewery site, Church Farm, Litlington, from 10am-midday followed by a networking lunch.

The event will include stalls and information about local growers and producers, including the opportunity to sample produce, and will include a free lunch provided by local producers.

There will also be some interesting talks from Plumpton College, Sussex Six, The Alliance of Sussex Food Partnerships and FareShare, along with hearing directly from some of our local producers, growers and farmers.

The main aim of these events is to support local businesses to shorten routes to market and enable more locally grown and produced food to enter local markets through retailers, restaurants, farm shops, pubs and other businesses.

There is a Directory that runs alongside these events which can be viewed here: Good-Food-East-Sussex-Supplier-and-Buyer-Directory-Autumn-2024.pdf

To find out more about the Buyers & Suppliers Events please visit Wealden Food Partnership | Building a Better Local Food System or email helen.graham@communityactioneastsussex.org.uk