Get ready now for Open Farm Sunday
Organisers of Open Farm Sunday (OFS) are urging participating farmers to start planning for the event.
Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf) wants this year’s campaign to be the biggest and best yet.
The annual event will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year when it takes place on 7 June.
See also: More than 200,000 visit Open Farm Sunday event
Ahead of the big day, Leaf is holding a series of free information events around the country, starting this month.
- 1,000 farmers have hosted events since the first Open Farm Sunday in 2006
- 1.25 million visitors have been to Open Farm Sunday events since 2006
- Last year, one in five visitors had never visited a farm before
- 85% of visitors said they learned something new about farming
Fifteen events are already scheduled, with the first three taking place in Scotland, followed by events in Shifnal, in the West Midlands on Thursday 5 February, Gloucestershire on Tuesday 10 February and another event in Powys, Wales, on Tuesday 17 February. More dates for England and Wales will be announced later in January.
The events provide an invaluable opportunity for farmers to exchange ideas and advice, whether they are opening up their farms to the public for the first or the 10th time.
Leaf OFS co-ordinators will be updating farmers on the latest health and safety regulations, as well as offering ideas on how to make their OFS event as enjoyable for visitors as possible.
There will also be activity suggestions for all types of farms and for farmers planning for events of all sizes, from small, private farm walks to those who are aiming to welcome hundreds of visitors.
Farmers can now register to take part in Open Farm Sunday and Open Farm School Days and they can also book their place on an information event on the website