Opening the Janet Gow Farmyard at Farmer Gow’s

One of the pleasures of serving as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire is the opportunity to see the extraordinary range of people and organisations quietly enriching life across our county.

This morning I travelled to Farmer Gow’s, near Longcot, to open the new Janet Gow Farmyard - a project that has been years in the making.

Appropriately enough, the farmyard was already full of children when we arrived. A five-year-old’s birthday party was in full swing, with young guests running happily between the animals, the play areas and the farm buildings. It was a wonderfully fitting backdrop for the opening of a place designed precisely to give children experiences like these.

Watching them, it was easy to remember just how important places like this are.

For many young people today, regular contact with farms, animals and the rhythms of rural life is no longer something they take for granted. Yet experiences like feeding lambs, holding a chick, or simply running freely around a farmyard create memories that stay with people for life.

Anne’s vision

The new farmyard is the result of the determination and resilience of Anne Gow, who shared with me that the journey to this moment has involved many twists and turns along the way.

Anne is not only the driving force behind Farmer Gow’s but also serves as Chaplain to the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire during my year in office. Our connection goes back even further: we were both pupils at Wycliffe College many years ago.

It was therefore a particular pleasure for me to be asked to open a project that means so much to her and her team.

Anyone who has ever tried to bring a project like this to life will know that progress rarely follows a straight line. It requires focus, persistence and a very clear sense of purpose.

Anne’s vision has been rooted in a belief that children benefit enormously from connecting with animals, with farming and with the natural world. Standing in the farmyard surrounded by families, it was clear that belief has already become reality.

The morning also brought together an impressive group of supporters who have been part of that journey, including representatives from St Helen & St Katharine School, Wycliffe College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, alongside friends and colleagues who have supported the project along the way.

Celebrating loyal colleagues

The morning also provided an opportunity to recognise two remarkable members of the Farmer Gow’s team.

Mark McCracken, who has worked at the farm for twenty-five years, first arrived as a teenager and has grown into one of the pillars of the operation. Today he leads the farm’s mobile education visits, taking the experience of the countryside out into schools and communities across the region.

We also recognised Dale Whitehorn, who joined the farm fifteen years ago through a work experience programme. Arriving with little confidence and few qualifications, Dale’s determination and the support of the team helped him build both practical skills and academic confidence, eventually achieving GCSEs in English and Maths.

Today Dale leads school visits to the farm and supports young people undertaking their own work experience placements.

Both men are now directors of Farmer Gow’s Education Ltd.

Every successful organisation has people like Mark and Dale at its heart - loyal, hardworking and quietly dedicated.

A place of welcome

My theme as High Sheriff this year has been “Hearing the Young Unheard.”

That includes recognising the places where young people can build confidence, feel valued and discover a sense of belonging.

Farmer Gow’s is clearly one of those places.

Standing in the farmyard, watching children laughing, parents chatting and lambs attracting constant attention, it was clear that this new space will bring joy and learning to families for many years to come.

As I said when declaring the farmyard officially open, supported by Emily and Isabella, two of my brilliant High Sheriff's Cadets, places like this send a simple but powerful message:

Whoever you are, however you arrive, you are welcome here.

And judging by the happy chaos of a five-year-old’s birthday party underway during the ceremony, that spirit of welcome is already very much alive.