As a family we often question our footprint when we holiday, we try to be as ‘sustainable’ as we can, but what really does sustainable mean? To me when I think of a sustainable family holiday, I think about not only what the impact of our travel has on the global climate but also, and possibly more important, the impact our visiting has on the local community and local natural environment.
At Tredethick Farm in Cornwall sustainability is hugely important and they tick many boxes, from organic gardens and renewable energy to a full biodiversity programme and locally sourced goods and materials.
Tredethick is a fabulous farm-stay in Cornwall, home to eight self-catering cottages all of which are child-friendly with cots, highchairs, steriliser and all the paraphernalia needed to make travelling with babies and toddlers a breeze.
Kids will love the farm, animal feeding, exploring, playing, splashing about in the indoor pool and generally having fun and tiering themselves out but it doesn’t stop there. The guys at Tredethick are also passionate about the future for our little ones which is why they have a great sustainable programme.
The indoor pool is powered by a biomass boiler using energy from crops grown on the farm and more than 75% of the farm’s electricity is powered by a micro wind turbine and solar panels.
energy crop (Miscanthus) harvest 
Indoor pool powered by biomass
The gardens are managed organically, and they also follow a biodiversity programme encouraging wildlife to the farm with wildflowers and they have planted more than 14,000 native trees in the past 20 years, creating a rich and diverse habitat for animals and plants. They were very excited when they found their first dormouse in April, following the introduction of a dormice survey in Oct 2020 (managed by a local ecologist and a toddler mum), they have now applied to become part of a long-term program monitoring these lovely creatures.
It doesn’t stop there; there is also a waste management programme at Tredethick. From glass milk bottles that can be refilled at Nelly’s in Lostwiithiel to eliminating single use cups. Even discarded bedding, curtains mattresses, furniture and more is recycled locally. As mentioned, many local communities rely on tourism which is why Tredethick source locally sourced goods and materials wherever possible. Their farm shop produce is mainly locally sourced and any upgrades, like the fabulous balance bike track at the farm is used using local materials and labour (the track was built using reused granite and slate and the old farm gates were recycled too and all built by local craftsmen).
Local farm produce 
Bicycle and ride on track
For more details of Tredethick’s green credentials take a look at their sustainable holidays page on their website.
We know that many families both local to home and around the world rely on tourism economically, which is one reason why tourism is here to stay. Many of the owners we work with at Holiday Tots already have amazing green credentials and over the next few months we will explore what they are achieving in their bid to become a sustainable family friendly holiday destination. From the basics of recycling to the wider challenges of investing in the local community going off grid and more. We will also work with those at the beginning of their environmental journey helping to map out a plan to become more eco-friendly.
We understand that our planet, its resource and all living things are precious, we are also aware family memories are precious too. So, our mission is to explore the world of sustainable travel and work with our owners to highlight how each of them, in their own way, are doing their bit for the environment, however big or small that might be. Keep your eyes peeled for our next sustainable article looking at eco-friendly family holidays coming soon but for now take a little look at the eco-friendly holiday collection on Holiday Tots…
We would love to hear your thoughts about sustainable family travel and also of places have visited that you think we should feature – so please do get in touch.
