support local economy – The Extra Mile

Posted on 16/10/202516/10/2025 by The Extra Mile

Pumpkin Fest at Strawberry Fields, Devon

Pumpkin Fest at Strawberry Fields Lifton: a magical autumn day out

As the air turns crisp and the hedgerows glow gold, there’s no better way to celebrate the season than by visiting Pumpkin Fest at Strawberry Fields, Lifton. This is more than just pumpkin picking! It’s a full-on autumn festival, perfect for families and lovers of countryside escapes. Strawberry Fields may be the name, but in autumn the fields in question are alive with thousands upon thousands of orange pumpkins, just waiting to be picked.

For those who love supporting British farms, seeking out local experiences and discovering destination farm shops, Pumpkin Fest at Strawberry Fields is exactly the kind of farm day out to remember: it’s one of the myriad reasons we’ve included Strawberry Fields in The Farm Shop Guide (and in our other guidebook too: The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services).

Visit Pumpkin Fest in 2025: Strawberry Fields Farm Shop’s biggest ever celebration of pumpkins, Halloween, and seasonal British food and fun!

How to get to Strawberry Fields' Pumpkin Fest

Address: Strawberry Fields Farm Shop, Cookworthy Road, Lifton, Devon, PL16 0JL
Travel by car: The farm is accessed via local country roads; look for signage as you approach Lifton from the A30.
Public transport: Depending on where you are, you might take a train or bus to nearby towns and then it’s a short bike ride or taxi ride. (Check local bus routes in late October.)
Parking: On-site parking is usually available, often included in the ticket or for a small fee. Check ahead.

What's on at Pumpkin Fest: highlights and top experiences

At Pumpkin Fest, there’s a lively mix of harvest fun, autumn atmosphere and festive treats. Expect:

huge pumpkin patch: thousands of homegrown pumpkins ready to pick!
Creepy Carnival maize maze for spooky wanderings
barrel train rides through the grounds
photo spots and displays with giant pumpkins, autumnal backdrops and seasonal scenes
magic shows, circus acts, live music and entertainment for children
food stalls, autumn treats (pumpkin spiced items, hot drinks, pies etc.)
Pumpkin Nights evenings with illuminated pumpkins, music and family entertainment (after-dark events)

In short: Pumpkin Fest blends pick-your-own fun, festival atmosphere and seasonal charm.

Pumpkin Fest costs and tickets

General admission tickets are £4.95 for Pumpkin Fest sessions.
The Creepy Carnival Maize Maze is priced separately at around £3.95.
Parking may be included or charged (check the farm’s event pages for current details as it can vary from event to event).
Carers tickets may be available (often free or discounted), check online or call ahead for details if this would be useful for you.
Tickets tend to sell out for popular times: booking in advance is wise and always check ahead for any updates to pricing, opening hours, availability or parking costs.

About Strawberry Fields Farm Shop

Strawberry Fields is not just about pumpkin festivals; it’s one of the region’s celebrated farm shops with a reputation for quality produce, artisan food, a bakery, pantry goods, local meats, and seasonal fruit and veg.

The farm shop often acts as the anchor to the event: visitors can arrive early or linger later to browse, enjoy a meal or a coffee, or to shop locally. The farm shop’s ethos aligns beautifully with what The Farm Shop Guide stands for: showcasing independent, authentic, regionally rooted farm destinations.

By including places like Strawberry Fields in The Farm Shop Guide, we help readers discover not just where to pick pumpkins, but where to shop local, meet producers, enjoy good food, and support sustainable farms.

A taste of the season...and a reason to explore

The Farm Shop Guide celebrates farm-to-fork food all year round, but autumn is when Britain’s farm shops truly shine. From freshly pressed apple juice to hearty soups, home-baked cakes, and steaming cups of hot chocolate, you’ll find every reason to embrace the season in farm shops, farm shop cafés, and farms’ PYO fields across Britain.

Each entry in the book features an independent, hand-picked farm shop. Many have their own cafés, support local producers and stage seasonal and family-friendly events. Many are places that can turn food shopping into a day out for the whole family. Whether you’re in Cardiff, Cumbria or John o’Groats, there’s a pumpkin patch, apple orchard or farm shop or café waiting to welcome you.

Final thoughts

Pumpkin Fest at Strawberry Fields, Lifton, is a seasonal highlight worth planning for. It combines pick-your-own pumpkins, festival charm, live entertainment, and the chance to shop in a thriving farm shop. Whether you’re driving from a nearby county or exploring your backyard, Strawberry Fields is a destination that delivers feel-good fun, autumn colours, and a real connection to a local farm.

For any reader who values knowing where their food comes from, who loves the idea of farms as community hubs, and who wants to support local growers, The Farm Shop Guide is your road map to many more experiences like this. Use the book to find your next pumpkin patch, apple orchard or harvest festival, to visit farm shops that care deeply about quality, sustainability and place.

See you in the patch this October! 🎃

Image below (c) Matt Austin

Posted on 15/10/202515/10/2025 by The Extra Mile

Find your perfect pumpkin patch this halloween

Pumpkins at the pumpkin patch at Drewton's Farm

Find your perfect pumpkin patch this Halloween

As the leaves turn gold and the nights draw in, there’s no better way to celebrate autumn than with a trip to a local farm shop or pumpkin patch. Across Britain, fields are glowing orange with pumpkins ready to be picked, carved and cooked, with many farm shops turning the season into a full-blown celebration, with Halloween trails, harvest festivals, and family-friendly days out.

If you love discovering local food, seasonal produce, and countryside adventures, The Farm Shop Guide is your ultimate companion. It’s packed with over 160 brilliant farm shops, pick-your-own farms, farm shop cafés, and growers across the UK, with some of the best pumpkin patches and autumn events happening right now.

So order your copy of The Farm Shop Guide before you search “pumpkin patch near me” or “Halloween events near me”, for the book might just do all the hard work for you. You’ll simply need to grab your wellies then head out to explore the kind of places that make autumn in Britain so special.

Below we list some top spots from The Farm Shop Guide known for their pumpkin activities. After, we’ll show you how to carve your pumpkin, and even how to use it up once Halloween is all done and dusted for another year.

Why visit a farm shop pumpkin patch?

Fresh from the field: pumpkins that have ripened naturally and that haven’t been shipped halfway around the world.
Family fun: some farms offer hay-bale mazes, tractor rides, Halloween events and spooky-themed cafés.
Support local farmers: every pumpkin sold helps keep small British farms thriving.
Sustainable celebrations: farm shops often use minimal packaging and grow with the environment in mind. When you work with the soil directly, you know exactly what it loves, and what it doesn’t…

By visiting your local farm shop, you’re not just picking or buying a local pumpkin. You’re supporting British farming, reducing food miles, and helping build a sustainable, community-driven food culture.

Get a pumpkin from Upper Dysart Larder, Montrose

A farm shop: but not as you know it, and pumpkins are available in season. Here’s what The Farm Shop Guide has to say about Upper Dysart Larder.

Four generations of Stirlings have tended the land here which focuses on potato crops. Having supplied schools, hospitals, and supermarkets for years, the family was keen to show that no-one makes mash quite like a potato farmer, and began to cook up different flavours on the farm: chorizo, haggis, and cauliflower cheese to name a few. Their meals are sold via a touch-screen farm-to-table vending machine, next to fresh meat and pies, Scottish-made drinks, cheese, and sweet treats. That leaves the family’s hands free to greet farm visitors, where daughter and former teacher Jessica has set up a community hub offering farm experiences. Meet the pigs, alpacas, highland cows, and goats, and play in the park before taking a coffee out to enjoy in a bubble pod as you watch the workings of the farm and beautiful views over Lunan Bay. A memorable stop along the Angus Coastal Route. (Mud alert: wellies advised.)

Pumpkins at Thorpe Farm Centre, Barnard Castle

There are plenty of family-friendly activities here: call ahead or check online to see what they have on the pumpkin front this year. Here’s what The Farm Shop Guide has to say about Thorpe Farm Centre.

Handsome Thorpe Farm has been in the Barkes family since 1936. They transformed the courtyard buildings into a lively rural destination a few years ago. The farm shop is regularly raided by guests at the campsite alongside, who come for sumptuous fry-up ingredients, sun-downers, and groceries (plus the famed Sunday carvery). Local meat and fish bejewel the fridges, oven-ready meals await in the freezer for easy dinners, and alluring gifts fill the shelves. The café is abuzz with friendly chatter as people catch up over slices of oven-fresh cake, and crisp jacket potatoes. Explore the family’s wonderful legacy through their community woodland and wetland nature reserve; kids will love the animal paddocks too. Be sure to browse the treasure trove of a reclamation shop before departing.

Pumpkins at Yolk Farm, Boroughbridge

No prizes for guessing that this place is known nationally for its eggs, but they also have pumpkins! Here’s what their feature in The Farm Shop Guide say about this fabulous, family-friendly, award-winning farm shop and restaurant.

As you’d expect with a name like Yolk, eggs are the order of the day here at Minskip Farm. Happy hens roam freely over a six-acre green paddock – alongside alpacas, pigs, and pygmy goats. This makes for delicious, perfectly poachable eggs, which you can try for yourself in the on-site café. Convinced? Buy a box to take home in the farm shop alongside market- garden vegetables, and meat from other happily reared animals. Most of the shop’s products come from within 30 miles. For a taste of the local terroir, you are in the right place: try the chicken pancakes with smoked bacon and maple syrup. Kids love the Yard@Yolk play barn (which has an admission charge) with its giant sand pit, and veggie growing and egg collecting stations. Check online for pumpkin and Halloween-related fun and games this year!

Pumpkins at Drewton's Farm Shop, South Cave

Pumpkins ahoy! The Yorkshire Wolds Way carves through chalk hills from the Humber estuary to the headland of Filey Brigg. Drewton’s Farm Shop is on the route, with sweeping views over this tranquil land. From this countryside springs a delicious crop of produce, which you can taste and take away in Drewton’s shop and café. The team supports the neighbouring farm community to keep food miles low. The meat in the butcher’s is Yorkshire bred, while the pheasant, partridge, and duck are from the Drewton Estate.

In the deli are sandwiches, nourishing salads, smooth pâtés, smoked fish, and mouth-watering ‘best of British’ cooked meats (the roast beef is a favourite). The café breakfasts and afternoon teas are legendary. If here in autumn, pick a plump favourite from the huge pumpkin patch. You’re on!

Pumpkins at Kenyon Hall Farm, Warrington

This place has its own entire Pumpkin Festival: now you’re talking. Owners Tod and Barbara took over Kenyon Hall Farm in 1978, and still get their hands dirty today. They are supported by their two sons and a friendly team who welcome visitors to the farm shop and café year-round, as well as to seasonal activities including an Easter Egg Hunt, PYO fruit, and a Pumpkin Festival. Open daily, the shop is always worth a stop, with much farm-grown produce. Some is turned into gins, jams, and preserves, and the honey comes from their hives. Provenance and limited food miles matter so the shop supports many North West producers. Stop in the newly extended café to enjoy smooth coffee, loaded brownies, and delicious home- cooked dishes overlooking the colourful blooms in the plant centre. Check online for Pumpkin Festival timings and all other information.

Pumpkins at Darts Farm, nr Exeter

Darts is an award-winning food, drink, farming, and lifestyle destination created by Michael and James Dart. Their brother, Paul, runs the farm that has been at the heart of the business since the PYO began over 50 years ago. Their Ruby Red Devon cattle graze alongside, and crops rise in the fields beyond. The food hall brims with homegrown, seasonal, and artisan produce. Their own small-batch cider and sparkling and still wines from the vineyard are well worth sampling. The café and restaurants use the fields and food hall as their larder to create delicious dishes. Visit Darts’ chocolatier and gelateria or head to the flagship restaurant, The Farm Table, for a seasonal feast cooked over fire. If time, complete your day with a treatment at the Wellness Spa, hike the farm’s paths on foot, or cycle the Exe Estuary Trail.

In autumn, check ahead for the Halloween, pumpkin, and other tasty (or indeed spooky!) happening down at Darts Farm, Devon.

Pumpkin carving ideas — and what to do with the leftovers

When carving your pumpkin this Halloween, make the most of every part of it. Here are some simple, waste-free ideas:

🎃 Roast the seeds: toss them in olive oil, salt and paprika, and roast for a crunchy snack.
🍲 Make soup: pumpkin flesh is perfect for creamy autumn soups with nutmeg and thyme.
🥧 Bake a pie: or muffins, scones, or pumpkin bread: a great way to use up what’s left.
🌱 Compost the shell: once your lantern has had its moment, add it to your compost heap.
🐔 Feed wildlife: chopped pumpkin is a nutritious treat for birds, squirrels or chickens.

A taste of the season...and a reason to explore

Each entry in the book features independent, hand-picked farm shops, many with their own cafés, local producers and events. Many are places that can turn food shopping into a day out for the whole family. Whether you’re in Cardiff, Cumbria or John o’Groats, there’s a pumpkin patch, apple orchard or farm café waiting to welcome you.

Make Halloween meaningful this year

Instead of buying imported pumpkins or plastic decorations, try celebrating Halloween the farm shop way this year.

Pick your own pumpkin from a British farm.
Stay for a local meal or for a coffee and cake.
Meet the farmers who are growing your food.
Take home something delicious and home-grown.
Share your day out using the farm’s hashtags (and #extramilebooks if you’re feeling generous!) and support local, whatever the season.

Thanks for reading, happy Halloween and if you find any farm shops or Halloween or pumpkin-related events near you that we should know about, spill the tea and let us know!

Posted on 14/10/202515/10/2025 by The Extra Mile

World Food Day: food with purpose

Honouring World Food Day: food with purpose

Every 16 October, the world marks World Food Day: a moment to reflect, advocate, and act on the deeply human right to food, and on the systems that produce it. Established to commemorate the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945, World Food Day is now observed in over 150 countries to promote global food security, sustainable agriculture, and diets that serve people and planet alike.

In 2025, the theme is: ‘Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future’, part of FAO’s 80th anniversary campaign (#FAO80). It underlines the urgency of transforming food systems through cooperation: between governments, farmers, civil society and consumers.

For us, as compilers of The Farm Shop Guide, The Extra Mile Guide, and other foodie books with a conscience, World Food Day serves both as a reminder and a rallying cry: that food is more than flavour. It’s connection, equity, ecology, and respect for the people and land that grow it.

Why World Food Day matters to local food and British farming

Food security is not abstract
The global picture is stark: millions still lack reliable access to enough nutritious food. Climate change, supply chain shocks, inequality, conflict, and ecosystem damage all intensify this crisis.
Food systems are climate systems
Farming, land use, transport, and waste account for a large share of greenhouse gas emissions. But they also hold solutions: regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and shorter supply chains to help reduce carbon, restore soils, and increase resilience.
Local action feeds global impact
Choosing seasonal, British produce, shopping at farm shops or independent cafés, and valuing small-scale farming: these things may seem local, but together they can help rebalance power, improve fairness, and reduce pressure on global supply chains.
Stories and spotlighting matter
Many farmers, activist groups and charities work year-round to protect soils, restore nature, support communities, and advocate for fairer farming policies. World Food Day gives them a global stage helps amplify their voices.

How your guidebook purchase can support change

A percentage of sales from our book, The Farm Shop Guide, goes to the Sustainable Food Trust, to support their work.
The guide also features other food, farming, biodiversity, and wildlife-focused organisations, whose work strives to improve the situation for wildlife, food growing, and better food systems.
Reading and sharing these organisations’ stories helps build awareness, curiosity, and grassroots support: from consumers, farmers, and community groups.
When you buy our books it matters, when you shop locally it counts, and when you have conversations about fairer food systems and the charities working to protect and improve them, people listen.

What you can do this World Food Day

Here are some simple, meaningful actions readers and communities can take this World Food Day, and indeed throughout the season and the year.

Eat seasonally and locally
Plan your meals around what’s fresh in your region. Visit farm shops or farmers’ markets rather than always defaulting to supermarkets. The Farm Shop Guide can help you find them.
Choose British or regional producers
Every time you buy from a local supplier, you help strengthen their business, reduce food miles, and keep Britain’s farming heritage alive.
Share the stories
Post your activities on social media using #WorldFoodDay, #WorldFoodDay2025 #FoodHeroes, #FAO80, and tag your favourite farmers, local cafés, farm shops, or food charities.
Host or join an event
From a farm walk to a local talk, cooking demo, or roundtable, FAO encourages events like these as part of World Food Day. Find their useful comms support and toolkit here.
Support food and farming charities
Donate or volunteer for organisations working on soil health, sustainable farming, food justice, or regenerative agriculture. You’ll find an abundance of them in The Farm Shop Guide, from Buglife, to RSPB Fair to Nature, to Pasture for Life, to LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming).
Reduce food waste
Compost food scraps, plan meals, and use leftovers creatively. Such small steps multiply when many people join in.

Spotlighting food and farming charities

On this day of global focus, it’s fitting to highlight the organisations featured in our Farm Shop Guide: those whose work we value and whose stories we help carry.

The Sustainable Food Trust
The Wildlife Trusts
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)
The Nature Friendly Farming Network
The Biodynamic Association
Buglife
The Farm Retail Association
RSPB Fair To Nature
The Permaculture Association
The Royal Countryside Fund
The Soil Association
OF&G Organic
Better Food Traders
Pasture For Life

Each organisation tackles different pieces of the food puzzle, from soil regeneration to wildlife, organic standards to retail innovation, biodiversity to local markets. By reading their stories in our guides, sharing them, and supporting the ideas they stand for, you help keep the pulse of better food systems strong.

Summary of World Food Day 2025

World Food Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a moment to reconnect with the fundamental truth, that food shapes our world, and our choices shape food systems.

By buying a guidebook with a conscience, reading and sharing stories of farmers, advocates and food heroes, choosing seasonal and local food, and supporting charities doing essential work, every individual can be part of the change.

Let this World Food Day be a turning point (or perhaps just a tiny veer that is the start of a new direction): for your plate, your region, and the future of food.

Ready to support local and buy British farm food?

The Farm Shop Guide is your road-trip companion to some of the most ethical, delicious, and independently run food stops across Britain, from award-winning farm shops at regenerative farms to delis, cheesemongers, bakeries, honey farms, and more.

Wherever you’re heading, there’s a better bite waiting nearby: one that supports the land, the farmers, and the future.

Order your copy of The Farm Shop Guide today.

Posted on 31/05/202527/05/2025 by The Extra Mile

Why Farm Shops Are the Future of Ethical Eating

Image of the bread and bakery section at Weetons

Why Farm Shops are the future of ethical eating

In an age where supermarket aisles are crammed with plastic packaging and mystery meat, more and more people are asking: Where does my food come from, and what impact does it have?

Enter the modern British farm shop: a haven for ethical eaters, local food lovers, and sustainability-conscious shoppers. Once thought of as quaint countryside stops, farm shops today are pioneering a new kind of food culture: one rooted in transparency, taste, and doing better by people and planet. Farm-to-fork is something that producers strive to offer, and visitors love to experience. Here’s why farm shops are leading the charge for a more ethical way to eat. (Image above (c) Weetons.)

1. You know where your food comes from

Unlike supermarket supply chains that stretch around the globe, many farm shops sell food grown, reared, or made right on site or by producers they know personally. Whether it’s grass-fed beef from the next field or honey from a neighbour’s hives, there’s a story behind every product. That means fewer food miles, fresher produce, and a direct connection between farmer and eater. There are some truly delicious farm-to-fork experiences to be enjoyed.

2. Support regenerative and sustainable farming

Many independent farms and their farm shops are champions of sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture, namely a way of farming that restores soil health, promotes biodiversity, and works with nature rather than against it. By shopping at these outlets, you’re helping to fund regenerative farming that builds a better food system, rather than depleting it. Image below (c) Westerton Farm.

3. Champion small-scale and artisan producers

Farm shops are more likely than supermarkets to stock products made in small batches, which have been crafted by local artisans or by family-run producers. Whether it’s hand-churned butter, heritage apples, or traditionally made cheddar, these products preserve skills, regional flavours, and rural jobs.

4. Reduce waste and packaging

Looking to shop with less plastic? Many farm shops offer refill stations, loose produce, and minimal packaging, especially compared to supermarkets. You’re more likely to find recyclable or compostable containers, and often reusable options, too.

5. Keep money in the local economy

Ethical eating isn’t just about the environment, it’s about people. When you spend money at a farm shop, more of it stays in the community. You’re supporting local livelihoods, helping rural businesses thrive, and keeping Britain’s independent food culture alive. image below (c) Ben’s Farm Shop, Staverton.

6. Seasonal, responsible choices, without the 'greenwashing'

Ethical eating is about more than buzzwords. Farm shops typically stock what’s truly in season, helping you eat in tune with nature’s rhythms… and without the air-freighted strawberries in January. It’s simpler, more honest, and (spoiler) tastes better too.

Ready to eat more ethically?

Wherever you’re heading, there’s a better bite waiting nearby: one that supports the land, the farmers, and the future.

Order your copy of The Farm Shop Guide today.