Exciting plans for Open Farm Sunday 2012

As Open Farm Sunday moves into its seventh year, organisers LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) are encouraging more farmers than ever to open their gates on the 17th June. Online registration for Open Farm Sunday begins on the 10th January.

Open Farm Sunday has become firmly established as the food and farming industry’s annual flagship event. Reaching out to over one million consumers, it provides an excellent opportunity for consumers to find out about the vital role farmers have in producing safe affordable food whilst caring for the countryside. Following feedback from farmers, sponsors and supporters the 2011 theme ‘Discover Life On Our Farms’ will remain for 2012, providing exciting opportunities for everyone involved.

Caroline Drummond, LEAF Chief Executive said: “As a nation we are becoming increasingly urbanised and many consumers are still disengaged with the countryside and the story behind their food which is why Open Farm Sunday is more important than ever. As well as showcasing the industry, Open Farm Sunday is also a fantastic opportunity for farmers to build bridges between themselves and the public and tell them about the valuable work they do and show them at first hand how the food they enjoy every day is produced.”

“The feedback we get from farmers each year shows the wide range of benefits they receive from taking part in Open Farm Sunday and how much they enjoy the day too! Benefits mentioned include building community relations and raising a farm’s profile through to increasing sales. But it is the face to face engagement between farmers and the public that is the most important part of Open Farm Sunday no matter what the size or type of event.

Be it a guided farm walk at a set time, to a large open day, the choice of event belongs to the farmer. So whether you are opening your gates to 30 or 300 visitors, all events are of equal importance and value. Size doesn’t matter to LEAF it’s the engagement with the public that really counts.”

There are several new elements planned for Open Farm Sunday 2012 including a national Pollinator Survey which is being supported by a long term sponsor and supporter of Open Farm Sunday Syngenta, in partnership with scientific experts, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. This is a unique opportunity for the public and farmers to work together and for people of all ages to discover at first hand the importance of nature to their food in a fun and engaging way. With the value of insect pollination estimated at 131 billion globally, ‘pollinators’ are clearly very important to farmers and any research that can aid or improve pollination will also be of benefit to the whole industry.

The Pollinator Survey will seek to scientifically record and measure pollinator activity on farms across the country on the 17th June with the results then being analysed over the summer months. LEAF is hoping that at least 100 farms will sign up to take part in the survey. Full training and support will be provided to participating farms, and more details on this will follow shortly.

LEAF offers farmers a variety of extensive free support to help them run a successful event, whatever its size. This includes:

Website (www.farmsunday.org): A new look website will be launched in early 2012 where farmers can register their event, get lots of helpful information and top tips, view the online Workshop videos, order free resource packs and find out more about Open Farm Sunday, LEAF and the LEAF Marque.

Workshops: These are free to attend and will take place across the UK in February and May 2012. Farmers will be able to meet with other farmers who have hosted open days before and learn from their experiences, as well as get great ideas and advice on a whole range of topics.

Regional Coordinators: There are 10 regional coordinators across the country, many of whom have hosted an Open Farm Sunday event, whose role it is to help farmers with local advice on planning and hosting an event.

A resource pack: This contains publicity material (posters, flyers, etc), suggested activities, Health and Safety guidance and lots more!

For up-to-date campaign information and to let us know about your plans for Open Farm Sunday, follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/openfarmsunday.