Celebrating 50 years
1976-2026
50 years of
Farms for City Children
In 1976, Michael and Clare Morpurgo founded Farms for City Children with a simple yet powerful vision: to give children the chance to discover the joy of spending time in nature and to understand they belonged to a wider world. Since welcoming our first visitors to Nethercott House in Devon fifty years ago, more than 105,000 children and young people have grown happier, healthier and more connected to nature through unforgettable stays on our farms.
A golden opportunity
to support us
Join the celebrations by adding an anniversary theme to your fundraising.
Make your 50 count!
Walk 50 miles over a day, month or year, grow and sell 50 plants, invite 50 people to a coffee morning. Pick your challenge and make your 50 count in this very special year.
Go golden
Have a gold-themed bake sale, wear something gold on a sponsored walk, hold a ‘golden age of movies’ film night. Whatever you choose, why not add some sparkle to your fundraising.
The further adventures
of the Golden Goose!
If you are a school or community group visiting us in 2026, don’t miss your chance to take part in our anniversary competition! We’ll provide full details during your visit and you can download information as a reminder here. Prizes are very kindly supported by ComputershareUK.
50 years of Farms for City Children
Michael and Clare Morpurgo welcome our first visiting school to Nethercott House in Devon.
Our founding President was the then Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes.
Lower Treginnis farm, our Pembrokeshire farm in a unique coastal location, joins the Farms for City Children family.
The Quentin Blake Goose Girl illustration becomes our iconic logo, following its introduction in Michael’s book ‘Muck and Magic’.
Visiting farmers join us for the first time at Wick Court, our moated Elizabethan manor house farm in Gloucestershire.
Our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, celebrates our 30th anniversary with a visit to Lower Treginnis farm.
HRH The Princess Royal visits Nethercott House, meeting children and taking a tour of Nethercott House with Michael.
We welcome our first youth community groups during the school holidays.
Our agroforestry project with the Woodland Trust commences at Nethercott House.
We celebrate 50 years of Farms for City Children!