‘ T
he increased interest in food policy issues and growing public awareness in that what we choose to eat impacts on everything from animal welfare to our health and the protection of the environment has led to a massive transformation in Britain’s food culture over the past 10 years.
Much progress has been made to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, but a lot more still needs to be done. Informing people where their food comes from, how it is produced and what farmers do to manage the countryside and all its wonderful wildlife, benefi ts the whole food industry. It helps to build trust and understanding as well as encouraging consumers to really value the food they eat.
A fascinating story to tell The dairy industry has a great story to tell. The multi-faceted world of modern dairy farming covering photosynthesis, soil types, pastures, cows, milking, and the important aspect of collecting and processing milk both for sale as liquid milk and use in other dairy products is fasci- nating to the general public. Reaching out to your customers is all about engaging in conversation. There is no better way to engage with people about dairy farming than through a farm visit. Being able to see cows close up and experience the sights, sounds and smells of a real farm can be a life changing experience.
Opening your gates to the public
When hosting a farm visit, there are a number of basic do’s and don’ts to follow to ensure your event is safe, engaging and your visitors leave having learnt
something about the industry. Visitors – who do you want to come? Neighbours, villagers, parish councillors, local interest groups? If
Dairy farmers have a wonderful story to tell and people really are interested in hearing it
’ ABOVE LEFT Annabel Shackleton is manager of Open Farm Sunday.
ABOVE Animal contact areas must be segregated from eating areas and visitors should be reminded to wash their hands.
FAR LEFT When the visit coincides with milking time it is good to allow visitors to watch but from a clean viewing area.
you’ve never hosted a farm visit before – start small. When – choose the timings of the visit to suit you – do you want to open for a few hours or at a set time? Where – decide on which parts of the farm the public can visit and which to avoid – where are the hazards on the farm? eg. stored chemicals, unfenced holes, fast running water. A good idea is to start with a map of your farm marking up areas of interest and hazards.
Presenting your farming story Communicating your farming story in a fun and engaging way is key to a successful farm visit. You need to give your visitors a memory of your farm that lasts and some knowledge about farming they will always remember. Make the link with food – help people make the link between what they see on the supermarket shelf and what you produce. Start with what they know and work back. Having some milk, cheese or yogurt to show your visitors will really help your visitors make that vital ‘gate to plate’ link.
Keep it simple – don’t overload your visitors with information – the more interactive their visit the more engaging and memorable it will be for visitors. Engage the senses – we remember
ANIMAL CONTACT ESSENTIALS
• You MUST provide hand washing facilities with running water, liquid soap and paper towels
• Anti-bacterial gels are NOT a suitable alternative to hand washing facilities
• Animal contact areas should be supervised and visitors should be reminded to wash their hands
• Animal contact areas must be segregated from eating areas
• Ensure animals have fresh bedding • Walkways must be clean, free of soiled bedding and faecal seepage
• Cordon off muck heaps and mucky areas
• Keep the viewing area in milking parlours clean
• Clean off partitions and gates • Ensure visitors can clean off shoes and pushchair wheels before leaving the farm
THE JOURNAL AUGUST 2015 39
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