With less than two months to go, anticipation is building for the National Sheep Association (NSA) Sheep Event, the flagship event of the organisation, taking place on Tuesday 28th July 2026.

As in previous years, NSA will host farm tours on the day prior to the main event, Monday 27th July giving visitors the chance to extend their visit to really make the most of their trip Departing from the Three Counties Showground, the tours will visit two contrasting but equally innovative local farms.

The day will begin at Chaileybrook Farm, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire, by kind permission of the Long family. The farm is home to the Chaileybrook flock of pedigree Southdowns run by Jonathan Long and his family. The enterprise remains focused on breeding high-quality Southdown sheep, maintaining a strong genetic foundation and a long-established reputation.

Alongside this sits the Littlebrook flock of Blue Texels, overseen by Sophie Long, adding a second performance-driven pedigree enterprise. Both flocks operate alongside a commercial system based mainly on Romney ewes, with Texel and Suffolk crosses. These are bred to Southdown, Blue Texel and Suffolk tups to produce efficient, market-suited lamb.

The farm tour will then continue to the Madresfield Estate, located at the base of the Malvern Hills, where visitors will enjoy a two-course lunch prepared by the team at Madresfield Butchers and Grill. This dining experience will showcase the surrounding farmland, highlighting the estate’s own delicious produce.

Set against views of the estate and the Malvern Hills, this experience will reinforce the relationship between farming, landscape management and food. The lunch also provides an ideal introduction to the subsequent tour of the farm and wider estate, offering insight into its integrated approach to agriculture and hospitality.

Following lunch guests will tour the estate farm, by kind permission of the Lygon family. The estate operates a mixed, regenerative system combining arable crops and livestock. Crops including cereals and beans are grown in rotation to support soil health and reduce artificial inputs.

Livestock play a central role at Madresfield, contributing to soil health, biodiversity and overall sustainability. The farm’s flock of predominantly Welsh ewes is 100% grass fed and is rotationally grazed around the farm’s other enterprises including Hereford and Longhorn cattle and woodland reared pigs.

NSA Sheep Event Farm Tours are managed by experienced tour organisers Field Farm Tours.

Places are limited to join what is expected to be a popular tour. Find out more and secure your booking today at www.fieldfarmtours.co.uk.

For more information on NSA Sheep Event, visit the event website www.sheepevent.org.uk.