Farmer Fletch & Her Roles at the Farm!
A little about me
Im fletch, I’m 19 years old and I have worked at the farm for about 2 years now. I absolutely adore the goats here at the farm, especially any of the babies that are born here, they are just so cute! You have probably seen me running lots of the birthday parties, as they are my favourite things to do!
Birthday Parties at the farm
Birthday parties are one of the most rewarding activities to do as a staff member. In the two hours the children are with you, you get to see their confidence grow with both the feeding and the handling of the animals. It’s so magical to help a child work through their potential fear of an animal, and show them how beautiful and calming handling the animals can be. Sometimes even the parents need a confidence boost! I love the different age ranges that I get to work with, as I get to tailor each party differently, depending on what that child may want. I have worked with children from ages 1-14 so every day is very different! The basic layout of a party includes a field walk, where the children get to see all of our larger animals in the paddocks, and feed them… this always causes lots of giggles! Then some handling of our smaller animals such as the mice, rabbits and guinea pigs, sometimes some reptiles depending on the group and maybe even a baby goat or lamb, depending on the season. We then head to the party room for some food, all prepared by our wonderful catering team.
My favourite time of year to run these birthday parties is when it is lambing season… I just love the babies, they are my favourite!
Other roles & my Favourite Things at the Farm
I love every animal on the farm, and I only have two slight fears… crickets and locusts! I just really don’t like the noise they make! I absolutely love doing farmer days, because I get to do lots of different activities. My main responsibilities at the farm tend to be cleaning out, running animal encounters and birthday parties. I also do guiding for schools, and anything performance based! I was an elf both this year and last, and although I may slightly complain about the cold, I do really enjoy it! I sometimes help out in catering from time to time too. I love doing tractor-trailer rides in the summer, as I love seeing everyone’s smiley faces when its sunny, and even when its soggy and raining!
Unfortunately I have a functional neurological disorder, which can affect movement in my limbs and sometimes cause seizures. Being out in the fresh air and being around the animals day-to-day, has really helped with my physical health more than I ever really realised. Animals can be such a healing thing for human physical and mental health – I find you can never feel sad or poorly if you’re giving a baby goat a cuddle (unless you get peed on!). I really enjoy the amount of steps I get in whilst working at the farm. It is my favourite place to be to help cool down an episode. The management team are all so accommodating for me and I appreciate them so much.
The WPF Team
I joined the team at White Post two years ago now, and I have loved everyday since. I have always had a love and connection with animals, and will never stop preaching about what they can do for people. I love that every at is so different and I’m always learning something new, whether it’s something from our other staff or our lovely customers. I have met so many supportive and wonderful people at the farm, and I will forever be grateful for them, they even came to support me in my show!
Outside of the Farm
I also have a passion for theatre and musicals! I used to perform as a Disney princess for parties, and my most recent role was playing Rusty in Footloose. It was my first show back in a couple of years due to my health, and I was lucky enough to land the supporting lead! I loved every second of it and I was lucky enough to have my supportive White Post friends come and watch me! I must say they screamed very loud at the end! I am fortunate enough to have two wonderful friends who live in a very beautiful place on the River Trent, during summer we were there almost every night having barbecues, boating on the river, fixing cars and making campfires (and getting a little bit sunburnt!) I love exploring nature with my boyfriend Matthew, learning about the history of different places. Our most recent adventure was to a gorgeous spot near Lambley. We built a dam and it has helped clear it out after the flood. We also went to the theatre to watch the Panto recently, which was amazing! He is taking me to London to see my first ever west end show. I’m a very lucky girl… he is my best friend in the whole world and I love making him come to the farm!
I love my role here, and that I get to work with such a wonderful team. I am super chatty and bubbly, so if you every see me around the farm, feel free to come and say hello and have a chat!
