All images Keith Hatch
UNITE Rural life Open Farm Sunday
Hundreds of farms open their gates to the public
Annual event, farms throughout UK
On Sunday June 9 hundreds of working farms across the UK invited the public to visit and find out more about how the food on our plates is produced as Open Farm Sunday returned for its 18th year.
Open Farm Sunday is organised every year by LEAF (Linking environment and farming) and encourages farmers to open their gates. The event has grown over recent years as people have become increasingly interested in food production.
Research from last year showed that over half of the 170,900 visitors came from urban areas. It also reported that visits encourage people to consider a
career in farming. Last year’s impact report quoted one visitor saying, “It helped my son confirm that a BTec in agriculture was what he wanted to study at College.”
Over 200 farms threw open their gates to the public this year, stretching from Lanarkshire to Jersey, and from the Norfolk coast to the tip of Cornwall.
Open Farm Sunday manager, Annabel Shackleton, said, “Every farm’s story deserves to be heard, appreciated, and understood. There’s a fantastic opportunity to engage more of the public with how their food is produced and show our farmers as guardians of the earth.
“The magic happens when
visitors talk with farmers and see farming first hand. The conversations have a lasting positive impact helping people to value the work farmers do, the food they eat and to make more informed food choices. For some, it also inspires them to consider a career in farming.”
Hundreds of activities took place that ranged from family friendly tractor and trailer rides, pond dipping and chances to meet livestock close up, demonstrations of sheep shearing and talks on restorative agriculture and sustainable farming practices.
The size of the farms open also varied widely, some were large scale cereal farms, whilst others were small community farm projects.
One farm to open its gates to the public was Hampton Estate Farms, a traditional agricultural estate nestling on the southern side of the Hogs Back in Surrey.
Hampton Estate was once a dairy farm, but has diversified into grass- fed beef and hops as well as forestry,
34 uniteLANDWORKER Summer 2024
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