Open Farm Sunday 2008 aims to be the biggest yet

This year’s Open Farm Sunday takes place on 1 June and the organisers expect it to be the biggest yet. David Cousins explains why any farm can take part

Open Farm Sunday? Never heard of it!

You may well not have done in the past, but the likelihood is that you soon will. What is it? Well, it’s Britain’s biggest farm open day, which last year involved more than 400 farms across the land.

How did it come about?

You need to thank the Danes for that. They have had a national farm open day for several years, though on a rather smaller scale than the UK version. Hertfordshire farmer Ian Pigott was over in Denmark as part of a Nuffield Scholarship trip and was so impressed with the way it worked, he started up a scheme with LEAF in the UK four years ago.

Who organises it?

It continues to be organised by LEAF. They had already been encouraging their own farmer members to open their farms for some years as part of their Speak Out campaign, so it was logical that they should take on the running of Open Farm Sunday.

How successful has it all been?

Better than anyone could have hoped. The number of farmers taking part has risen from about 300 in 2006 to 400 last year. That may not sound so impressive as a proportion of all the 100,000 or so farmers in the UK, but many of these farm open days were collaborative events that involved several neighbouring farmers, plus family members, agronomists, vets and local wildlife experts. In fact a LEAF questionnaire sent out after last year’s event found that 7000 farmers, helpers and family members took part.

What about visitor numbers?

In 2007 more than 150,000 people visited farms on Open Farm Sunday. That is an average of 375 people per event. LEAF also polled the visitors to find out what they gained from the visit and found that 69% of them rated the event as “amazing”.

They also asked people to compare their knowledge of farming before and after the visit and found that just 32% of visitors thought their knowledge of farming was good before they made the visit. That figure shot up after the event, though, with 69% reckoning their knowledge of farming was good. So if the purpose of Open Farm Sunday is to improve the public’s knowledge of farming, it seems to be doing the job very well.

What sort of farmers take part?

All sorts. They range from big estates with lots of land, beautiful cattle and shiny new machinery to farmers with jusr a few acres. What characterises them is not so much size and type of farm, but a desire to help get the farming message across to the public.

I’m interested in taking part, but I just have 250 acres of cereals. That’s not going to be very interesting for people, surely?

It may sound ordinary to you because you live and breathe it every day. But for people who may have never set foot on a farm, the chance to see a barn full of grain and sit in a tractor or combine cab is exciting. And think about what your crops are used for – wheat for biscuit-making, barley for brewing, sugarbeet for sugar lumps. You can tell them what birds you have on the farm, what wild plants, how long your family has farmed there, what trees you have. There’s loads.

If you have livestock, it is even easier. Most people never get to see cattle close up, let alone hear about what they eat, what they are used for or how a milking parlour works. LEAF is also producing activities to help host farmers tell the food, farming and environment story in a fun, memorable and interactive way.

Hmmm, I can see some awkward questions being asked about welfare and sprays.

You may get the odd one, but people who come to visit a farm aren’t doing so to find fault or catch you out. Almost without exception, they are genuinely interested in what farmers do and why they do it. As long as you are honest and open, they’ll understand your actions and motives.

Anyway, the same questions – awkward or otherwise – tend to get asked at all farm visits and LEAF can provide loads of help on awkward questions and the best answers.

How am I going to cope with hundreds of people to entertain all day?

If you want to make it into a huge event, with lots of neighbouring farmers and catering and so on, that’s great. But most host farmers start with something much more simple, like an hour-long farm walk around some of the nearer fields and livestock buildings, plus a chance to sit in some tractors.

You can make it an all-comers event, put loads of signs up and get the local newspaper to run a pre-event snippet. Or you can restrict it to a set number by asking people to phone up to book a place.

My neighbour says I need to do a risk assessment and that there could be insurance implications. Is that right?

Yes, but the risk assessment isn’t the terrifying beast it sounds and shouldn’t take you any time at all. And, while you do need to inform your insurance company, they shouldn’t charge extra for it.

I’m still worried. What if it rains? Do I need to provide food? Should I charge for entry? Should I put up posters in the village? How do I send a press release to the local paper?

The short answers are (a) Have a wet weather plan, with (for example) some examples of products made of wheat and barley (b) No you don’t, though many do (c) Ideally, not. But a case can be made for giving the money to charity (d) Yes, if you are going for numbers (e) It’s not complicated or difficult, but LEAF can supply a pro-forma press release.

I think I need some training. Can anyone help?

Yes, LEAF is running a series of afternoon (1.45pm-4.30pm) workshops around the UK giving advice on all the subjects mentioned here. They are free and are aimed at those hosting or thinking of hosting a farm open day on 1 June. It also supplies things like roadside notice boards, posters, flyers, arrows and OFS sweatshirts,

If you would like to attend phone 024 7641 3911 or email carol.cartwright@leafuk.org

Training workshops

• 5 March Cinderbarrow Farm, Levens (Coates), Kendal, Cumbria
  
• 6 March Greenwell Farm, Towlaw, Bishop Auckland, County Durham
  
• 12 March Hall Farm, Stainton-Le-Vale, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
  
• 13 March Whirlow Hall Farm, Whirlow Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
  
• 18 March JSR, Southburn, Driffield, East Yorkshire
  
• 19 March Claremont Farm, Clatterbridge, Wirral, Merseyside
  
• 20 March Longlands, Whitbourne, Herefordshire
  
• 31 March The Allerton Project, Loddington, East Norton, Leicestershire
  
• 2 April Walk Farm, Witham Friary, Frome, Somerset
  
• 3 April Town Barton, Sandford, Crediton, Devon
  
• 7 April Woottons Cottage Farm, Croxden, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire
  
• 10 April Crichton Royal Farm, Glencaple Road, Dumfries
  
• 11 April Tarrylaw, Balbeggie, Perthshire
  
• 14 April Press Mains, Coldingham, Berwickshire
  
• 16 April Hampden Bottom Farm, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire
  
• 17 April Lower Farm, Troston, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
  
• 22 April Gelli Aur College Farm, Gelli Aur, Carmarthen
  
• 23 April Hafod y Llan, Canolfan Deilan Las, Craflwyn, Beddgelert, Caernarfon
  
• 25 April Chaites Farm, Bolney, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
  
• 1 May Bradfords Farm, Benham Estate, Newbury, Berkshire
  
• 8 May Blaen-y-Cwm, Dolau, Llandrindod Wells, Powys

I want to know more. Where do I go?

Ring 024 7641 3911 or email enquiries@leafuk.org or click on www.farmsunday.org