A Brede farm is offering hands-on experience of lambing once again.
1,800 lambs are expected at Hare Farm in March, ensuring a busy time for students. All aspects of pre- and post-natal care are covered, including spotting signs of labour, managing births, fostering, new born care, feeding and husbandry tasks.
The lambing workshops at Hare Farm first began in spring 2014 and have attracted students from as near as Rye and as far as Wales.
Joanna Thompson has worked on the family farm since a toddler, and runs the workshops. “We set up the courses initially thinking it would be novice sheep keepers and vet students who would attend, to get their fully immersive, hands-on insight into lambing. However the mix of students is equally popular with those who are simply intrigued by what goes on behind the farm gate, having enjoyed seeing lambs in the fields on their walks.
“As much as lambing is the most stressful time of the year on a sheep farm, I do carve out time every year to keep the workshops going, knowing there’s very few farms that offer such a hands-on insight, yet it’s important as farmers we show how much passion, care, hard work and toil is taken when producing Britain’s food.”
Dates and times of lambing courses at Hare Farm Hideaways:
Wednesday 11 March 2026, 10am to 1pm, £65 per person
Thursday 12 March 2026, 10am to 1pm, £65 per person
Each course can take a maximum of 10 people. Spending a night in the shepherd’s hut at Hare Farm costs £110 for the first night, and £75 per night thereafter.
Bespoke workshops can be arranged throughout March and April for guests staying in the oast house. Alternatively, opportunities for bottle feeding can also be arranged on a more informal basis.
For more information and to book on a workshop or to stay in the oast or shepherd’s hut, please email: Joanna at stay@harefarm.co.uk , call 07802 979348 or visit https://harefarmhideaways.co.uk/farm/lambing-courses
Image Credits: Joanna Thompson .