LEAF Open Farm Sunday 12th June 2022 Feedback Together let’s showcase British farming
Theres nothing quite like visitor feedback to show the true impact of LEAF Open Farm Sunday
Principal sponsors LEAF Open Farm Sunday 2022
Join us next year on LEAF Open Farm Sunday 11th June 2023
The messages shared resonated with visitors, with 79% reporting they learned something new about British food or farming, 95% rated events as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, and 85% stated that visiting a farm on LEAF Open Farm Sunday had increased their trust in British farming.
We have especially enjoyed reading all the comments from visitors and host farmers. Visitors who care deeply about how their food is produced and are interested in wider issues around sustainability and climate change. Farmers who once again have thoroughly enjoyed showcasing British farming. We are delighted to share a selection of these comments for you to enjoy and reminisce the wonderful LEAF Open Farm Sunday events held across Britain in June. A huge thank you to all the wonderful farmers who took part, their enthusiastic helpers, the thousands of visitors who supported them and to all our sponsors for their financial and in kind support.
Fantastic feedback!
This year, 72% of visitors reported feeling positive about what the industry is doing to help combat the climate change crisis, and around half (49%) of visitors said the visit had inspired someone in their group to consider a career in farming
“Amazing idea to let children play in the grain! Loved the flower stall lady, great food available and your chickens just marvellous to see! Long live British farming and hip hip hooray to you all!”
“Amazing day, so informative, we learnt so much about the environmentally friendly systems in use on the farm. A real insight into how British farming works and moving forward with a positive impact on protecting the environment.”
Visitor feedback
We had a wonderful day at Imbrahams Farm and are so impressed with how they support the local environment and wildlife and their sustainable farming practices. It has changed the way we see farming and look forward to visiting them again! Margaret is an inspiration! Thank you!”
A perfect day!”
“Having grown up in Kehelland and now having my own children, one of whom attends the school, I was really interested to visit the farm. We also always buy the farm's delicious eggs the yolks are always so golden so it was so nice to meet the happy chickens who provide them for us. My eldest was so excited about it as he always asks if he can visit and today was the day! What a fabulous day out we had. I had no idea there would be so much to do. Seeing the chickens and other animals was great. I couldn't believe how long a tractor ride we had, all the views are so beautiful! My boys were so pleased to be on a tractor ride too! Then, we wandered down to the barn and had no idea what was awaiting. The excitement was palpable when they spotted the mounds of grain. What a fabulous idea! As was the coffee which we throughly enjoyed with a massive Victoria sandwich. Winner! We had such a lovely day and it was all free which is amazing. Thanks so much. Blooming brilliant!”
“From the car parking attendant, to the staff in and amongst the activities and the organisers, THANK YOU The children, my partner and I had a lovely afternoon. And the weather held out. Small miracle!”
“We had a fantastic family day out at the farm and felt thoroughly inspired by British farming we’ll definitely come again!”
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“As a family with young children we always look to take them to see new things and learn about how the world works. This trip was perfect it was fun, informative and had a lovely atmosphere. Our two boys loved seeing how a real tractor works and how enormous they are. As parents it's important our children understand where their food comes from and how to look after our planet. Thank you Perching Manor Farm we had a lovely family day.”
“We really enjoyed our time at Hampton Farm Estate There was something to interest all the family and lots to see and do. We all learnt a lot too!”
“Brilliant day out for everyone! and Impressive!
“It was a wonderful day for every age, organised by a hugely enthusiastic family who put their heart and soul into communicating how they farm for the greater good. Very impressive.” “Three generations of our family visited Hampton Estate on Open Farm Sunday. A very well organised farm, and an informative and thought provoking day. We all enjoyed the beef baps you prepared for our lunch. The tractor ride was super fun with an interesting guide on board to explain the lives of the beef herd. Explanations of the farm environment was so interesting. The toddlers loved the straw bale obstacle course. Marshmallows over a fire was a good surprise. My grandchildren really enjoyed feeding and stroking the donkeys and petting farm. To see a 2 week old calf up close was fascinating. A truly fun day to remember and learn more about environmental farming. 5 stars!”
“Thank you for such a wonderful time at the farm, getting us clued up on how science is behind farming, giving us a chance to meet the animals and look at their welfare standards.”
“A super family day out with lots to experience and try. We loved visiting the dairy and saw a calf that had been born just one hour prior to our arrival! The staff were all super helpful and friendly. We will definitely visit again. Thank you.”
“Fantastic educational day out. As a teacher of secondary school science I am certainly going to incorporate what I have learnt into my school science lessons ”
“So much to see and learn about British farming, a must do for all families.”
“We visited a farm set in a gorgeous setting with amazing views and had a very enjoyable time. Open Farm Sunday is an annual highlight on our family days out. I have two polar opposite children so having an annual event they both love is fantastic. Daughter is a wannabe vet so loves seeing the animals and this year was right up her street with a horse, sheep, pigs, alpacas, ferrets, goats and the adorable baby piglets. My son is tech obsessed and also loves tractors and big machines so always jumps at chance to clamber up and sit in a tractor and spot the make of radio it has!! As parents it's important for us they have an appreciation of the world around them including where food comes from even though daughter is veggie due to her love of animals. Big shout out to the lovely farmhouse garden here also. Was beautiful with lots of hidden hideouts.”
A fabulous opportunity for people to see what farm life Here's to the next generation of farmers!”
Fantastic open day at Geoffrey Mayhew Farm tatic farm machinery was a huge hit with my 2 kiddies. Tractor trailer ride was also great for the kids and interesting to hear from the farmer about history of the farm and also what they do day to day. Really felt that we got to know a local farm now my kids understand more about farming Thank you!”
“We had an amazing time at Foxholes Farm & Butchery. The staff were amazing, the animals were all happy and well looked after and the produce to purchase was fantastic!”
“It was lovely to visit the farm with the family. Our grandson was really excited and enjoyed every minute It was very well organised with tractor rides, farm talks, milking demos plus local producers showing their produce. We expected to spend a couple of hours there but we spent 5 hours as there was so much to see and do. Thank you for this and we look forward to another one next year.” “Clean farm. Well cared for animals. Helpful staff. Interesting displays. Great walk. BBQ and icecream. Ideal Sunday out!”
“A fantastic way to share the importance of farming with younger children and help them feel connected to the food that we eat.” “A great day had by all the family learning about how important our farms are!”
“We had a fantastic tour and learned lots about innovations in agriculture and how the future depends on biodiversity! We also got to help shear sheep, made leaf pressings, whittle sticks, eat delicious cake and meet lots of lovely people!”
It was a great day out... my children loved learning about the animals and the farm They particularly enjoyed the interactive lamb bottle feeding, the tractor ride and the cow milking demonstartion (old style!). They did not want to leave at the end!”
Was amazing to see actual working farms, talk to staff and see the work they do! Very informative!”
“What a great way to experience and learn more about our great British farming A really well organised, family friendly event that provided an opportunity to see animals, tractors, farming equipment and learn about produce and farming methods. My 5 year old loved seeing and climbing aboard the tractors and the sheep dog demo was fascinating! I will definitely recommend the future events to my family and friends ”
“From the moment we arrived we felt so welcome. There were plenty of people to help answer any questions we had and direct us on where to go. The animals are so well taken care of and are so relaxed even with so many people being around. Our little boy had the most amazing day and hasn’t stopped telling us how the big cow licked him!”
“Fun educational day, what more could you ask for! Enjoyed by all!”
“Upper Odham Farm held a very informative and fun filled open day that was suitable for all ages. It was very well planned, had passionate staff that made learning fun, and some fantastic activities that made the day such a wonderful experience. We came away feeling so refreshed with eager children that wanted to learn more Thank you so much for having us and for all the hard work you do. Fantastic!”
“We all thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was very informative and the representatives were very generous with their time and knowledge. I would recommend this experience to anyone who is interested in our farming industry. It really opens your eyes to the tremendous hard work and commitment of our farmers and their workforce.”
“We visited Home Farm, I brought various family members and a friend with me including 3 young boys all under 5. We had a fabulous time. It was so relaxing to wander round the farm. The little boys loved the large tractors and combine harvester, they really couldn’t get enough of it and there was no need for us to rush them. We had discussions about horns on rams, size of eggs and the difference between a peacock and peahen. My 4 year old grandson proved us all wrong when our animal food ran out, he started to grab clumps of grass to offer to the sheep. To our surprise they wolfed it down! The pedal tractors were a big hit and we all sat with sandwiches, cake and milkshakes to finish off the afternoon lovely!”
An absolute eye opener. Fantastic 4.5hrs of fun education and food tasting. Can't wait to go again next year.”
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My four children and I enjoyed an afternoon visit to Trevor’s Close Farm in Gawsworth. The children loved the home made milkshakes and were educated about how the milk ended up being delivered to your door! We all enjoyed a tractor ride around the fsrm and the tour was educational to, we even saw a cow with a newborn calf eating a placenta, something which you wouldn’t see everyday! A good quiz for the children to do and lots of informative signs around the farm not forgetting the local Macclesfield Young Farmers who made an appearance to!”
“My family thoroughly enjoyed our day at Hillhead of Covington Farm. The kids enjoyed doing the scavenger hunt and earning their milkshake, fresh from the farm! We all learnt something new about how the farm operated and where our food comes from. So much organisation and thought had obviously gone in to the day. A fantastic day out!”
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“Just such a fantastic fulfilled learning and eye opening experience. I love how much love and care goes into looking after the animals and their welfare is always top of the list to ensure the then end product is something to be proud of and super tasty.”
“We had the most wonderful day feeding all the animals, speaking to all the farmers/volunteers and learning about what they do daily and how all the machines work. Home Farm is a credit to visit and so friendly and happy to answer the hundreds of questions asked by a curious little boy. Thank you all for a wonderful day.” “Rob the farmer took so much time to speak with my son and foster son. He was passionate about what he did and his knowledge was fascinating. We loved having a hands on learning experience which inspired our boys. The whole set up was well thought out and we can’t wait to return next year.”
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“We had a wonderful time at Gorst Hill Farm, the farmers and their family were very welcoming and informative. We all learnt alot about the farm, crops and the farming industry. I found it much more interesting than I expected! Both children had a great time and were brave enough to go bug hunting much to my surprise and were thrilled to get to sit in the tractor and the end of the tour. Thank you Gorst Hill Farm.”
The kids had such a good and informative afternoon out. Everyone involved was happy to chat to the children and answer any questions they had It really engaged them with farming.
“Very welcoming down to Earth friendly staff. Great insight into the working farm life. Thank you.”
“Fabulous day out for all the family. An important introduction to farming and animals for the children. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly and approachable. Thank you everyone at Otley we had a great day.”
A brilliant family day out, seeing first hand how our British farms work. My little one loved learning all about the animals and the machinery and absolutely adored the tractor ride. The event was well organised and can't wait to go again next year.”
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“We really enjoyed our visit to a local tomato grower, seeing how the plants grow, how they use science in farming and best of all taste testing a new variety, we had a brilliant morning.”
A brilliant, informative and interesting day.”
“Absolutely brilliant time from start to finish. Helpful, friendly staff showing us around with great enthusiasm. Thank you for a great visit and we will certainly be back ”
“The farmer was so passionate about his farm you can tell he genuinely cared for the animals and loved showing us around the farm. Very informative tour. Very well organised. Lots to see and do. Loved it!
Wish they were more than once a year! Great tractor ride and sheep sheering experience we will never forget ”
“Lovely afternoon learning what a farm I drive past 4 times a week grows! I had no idea Learnt lot. The kids are still retelling me what they learnt and they usually forget what they've learnt! Roll on next year!”
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“Old Hall Farm was great. The farm walk was nice and gentle giving you a chance to see all the animals. Brilliant day out. Well worth the hour and half journey there and back!”
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“Thank you for opening our eyes to British farming!”
We had a great family afternoon out at Goodwood Home Farm It was great to meet the livestock and see how well they were looked after. Also lucky enough to meet a local beekeeper and take part in some great forest school activities. Love our local farmers dedication to welfare of their animals and the environment.”
“Wonderful day out for the family! It was brilliant to see how the farm works and have all questions answered. The staff were great and they were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the farm and their cows. We absolutely loved it.”
“Amy at Bridge Farm, Long Clawson was extremely welcoming and passionate about farming and her farming heritage. Amy was very happy to answer questions and we really enjoyed the section on bee keeping and how this helps the farm. A great way for us to see behind the scenes of a family run farm. Thank you to everyone involved!”
“What a super opportunity to be able to visit a working farm and speak to such enthusiastic and passionate people about their work and lives.”
“Fantastic family day out! Strawberry tasting, pond dipping, moth identification, tractor display and lovely refreshments. British Farming at its best in the beautiful Suffolk countryside.”
“We loved our trip to see the New Forest Strawberries today as part of LEAF Open Farm Sunday. Our 6 year old son had an absolute blast on the tractor ride but I think strawberry picking in the huge polytunnels was his highlight. He was just the right height to see all the big juicy ones we sampled
“We had a wonderful time visiting Woodlands Farm in Holbrook today. Lots to see and take part in. The children enjoyed looking at the machinery and I particularly enjoyed watching the sheep shearing demonstration! The tractor ride was excellent and very informative with lovely kind and helpful staff Massively impressed with the farm and its staff and really enjoyed the delicious bbq! We buy local meat and veg where we can already but this just inspired us to continue and expand into local beers and other products that are all made and kept within the county. Fantastic day for family fun!”
“We had a fantastic day at Bisterne Farms and didn't expect to be there for so long! There was so much to do and plenty of friendly people all happy to chat and tell us lots about farming. The children loved the free samples, and bits and bobs, meeting the heavy horses, and learning lots about the New Forest and beekeeping, as well as where their everyday food and drink comes from. A big thank you to all those who help make it happen!”
“We had an absolutely brilliant day out at Gressenhall Farm. My young daughter loves all things farms, but especially tractors, so it was amazing for her to sit in a John Deere as well as get up close to her favourite farm animals! The day was brilliantly organised and all the staff working were very friendly and happy to share their knowledge. The smallholding section was also brilliant to understand farming in action. We can't wait until next year it's a shame it is only one day each year as farms do change through the seasons but understand the commitment of the farms who open their doors to the public!”
“A great insight into a world not normally see by general public.”
“Excellent visit in terms of organisation, content, facilities and helpful farm team. It was clear to see they had gone to a lot of effort to arrange the day and they didn't do it in a manner just to do something but did it in a really professional way. This was clear from the moment you arrived when there was safe and spacious parking available and then being met at the farm entrance by one of the team. Everyone we spoke to was positive, smiley and informative. Thanks for a great event.”
Farmers often get a bad reputation for damaging the environment and its so wonderful to see first hand how farms are doing their best to change this, especially when farming is one of the most vital industries around. I can't wait to see further innovations and look forward to seeing how farming is when my son is old enough to be a part of it!”
“Our trip to Dorset Dairy Company with our whole family was brilliant fun, and we really saw how the farmers cared for their work. They had put massive amounts of effort into making it fun for everyone and letting us see into their work they work so hard as it is, we felt they were massive stars for organising the event too! Please pass on our thanks for an amazing day!”
“We had a great visit to Churchill Farm in Northmoor, hosted by the Floreys. We enjoyed a walk and humble descriptions of their evolving farming techniques along with the varying levels of success they’ve had in implementing them. They were very accommodating to a large group. We are really impressed by the farm and their approach and will be making more of an effort to buy from local farms moving forwards.”
Great experience we will be recommending to friends and family. Wonderful team on the farm who were friendly and approachable. Everyone in our group learnt something new.”
It was a very lovely and informative day. I learnt so much about sustainability in farming and loved some of the ways that they are going about it. (Especially using predator bugs instead of herbicides )
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“A lovely morning spent at Little Markfield Farm We had never been to this farm before, and it was so lovely to see it busy with so many families. There were craft stalls, book and toy stalls, as well as food stalls which was great. A LEAF Open Farm Sunday is fantastic event to get the British public involved, and open thier eyes to the importance of supporting British farming. A great day had by all!
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Thankyou.”
“An absolutely fantastic day out, from looking at farm machinery and sitting in the diggers, to stroking the cows, horses, sheep, goats and meeting the chickens. A brilliant display of sheep shearing. A little tractor ride across the fields to hear about sustainability and diversity, and to catch fresh water shrimp in the river. We also met Chewy (the cutest dog ever). Followed by a ride back to watch the cows being milked then enjoyed a fresh burger and a drink of locally produced milkshake. What a very organised fantastic day. You should all be super proud of yourselves at Berth Bach, Trefnant Thank You.”
“We learnt lots about farming and enjoyed seeing the machines that help put food on the table.”
A wonderful family friendly experience Teaching children what goes on behind the scenes on a farm and introducing them to where our food, milk and dairy products come from.”
“We had a fabulous time at the farm seeing the milking process, watching a calf take its first steps and first milk my son even “delivered a calf” with the guidance of a vet (it was a teddy calf!). We loved our visit.
“Many thanks to Zoe and Charlie for a most interesting and informative trip around your beautiful farm and the blueberry business. I learnt so much and I love the fact that you are such a progressive business and experimenting with regenerative farming methods. Such a positive story. Looking forward to lots of blueberry crumble thanks very much for opening the farm today.”
“Everyone at Old Park Farm, Bryanston were so friendly and helpful. The tractor ride was amazing, the information given was interesting and our driver was very good. Flying the flag for women in farming. Thanks for allowing us to visit.”
“The work that goes into farming is often unseen, and so it was interesting to see what goes on day to day on a dairy farm, and how the milk we drink ends up in the supermarket We want our children to understand where their food comes from and to grow up supporting British farming.
“Very well organised but also relaxed. The hosts were amazing Lianne talked to my daughter about women in diary and not to be nervous about doing agriculture at college when she’s not from a farming background.”
Very enjoyable. Plenty of time spent with knowledgeable stockman, shearer, farm manager and owners. We learnt a great deal.”
The cows at Babbacombe Dairy appeared healthy and happy, and the farmers did a great job opening their farm to the public. Was wonderful. Such kind and knowledgeable hosts who really cared and made it a magical visit. Thank you.
“We all really enjoyed our visit to Miller Farm today. The tour was excellent and it was jam packed with lots of interesting things Our daughter loved meeting the animals and the sheepdog trial display was fantastic. Thank you for a great morning.” “We had an absolutely amazing time at Trevor Close Farm near Macclesfield. The team were lovely and welcoming, and made such an effort to talk to our eldest little boy (3.5 years old). He loved climbing into the tractor and taking it for a ride, and nearly lost his mind when he realised he could ride on the tractor trailer and go and see his favourite animals! The information displays were great, and someone was always on hand to answer questions we had. It was a real privilege to be allowed to visit the farm Thank you so much to all those who gave their time and effort to host us today.”
“An excellent visit. The staff were all extremely welcoming and very knowledgeable from the vines, the pollinators and how they harness the environment with harvesting of water The produce was also super tasty. We really enjoyed the visit, thank you all for making it so enjoyable and educational.
“We were amazed by how much the farm does that is not necessarily seen by passers by The different processes in place to help wildlife and the effect these can have on farming whether it be the sustainability of the farm now, but also the future.”
“The sun was shining in Scotland on a glorious Open Farm Sunday, where knowledge transfer was effortlessly taking place.”
“The sun was shining and the cars rolled in all day. Tractor and trailer rides from the Young Farmers to see the farm machinery and cows in the field with a running commentary. The Wildlife Trust and RSPB were talking nature and the environment, and our neighbour had a queue all day for her homemade ice cream. Our butcher gave sausage making demonstrations. Great atmosphere. Teamwork paid off.”
The host farmers’ experience
“We love Open Farm Sunday as it lets our customers see behind the scenes here at Churchfields and gives us the opportunity to educate them on the work that goes into the ice cream and beef burgers that they eat here!”
“This was our second OFS. This year we not only had visitors from neighbouring villages, but also nearby City of Wolverhampton, which was fantastic. Our activities included: farm machinery display and sit on (including a vintage tractor this year); bird ringing demo, talk and bird holding; field walk and discussion re crops/food production; talk on beekeeping with an observation hive; we also had hay baling and haylage wrapping demonstrations on one of the fields, which the visitors enjoyed watching. All activities evaluated really well as did the complimentary refreshments. We have had lots of really positive feedback.”
“We ran a series of 5 farm walks during the seven day run up to LEAF Open Farm Sunday. Great conversations with 29 children and 93 adults in total, including an evening walk with residents of Nonington and a Farm School session.”
“We allowed access to some of our shearling rams, our new farm classroom and we had some of our pedigree sheep penned up to talk about. We also had the boys’ pony (very happy to have cuddles) and 3 visiting alpacas (a complete hit with everyone). A local lady catered the event and she had a brilliant day! Our selfguided farm walk was a hit again as the views really are something to behold.”
“We teamed up with our dairy neighbour where our daughter works and they had a busy day giving people the opportunity to taste Arla produce. People loved the sheep care and a hay making demonstrations Refreshments home produced meat in hot dogs, etc and cake so popular! Hedge planting and take one hedge plant home to plant. Such a pleasure meeting so many of the general public who wanted to learn and understand more about how we farm ” “
We opened our farm for the 4th time, and first since before COVID. We tried the online ticket system for the first time which worked very well, so we knew we were in for a busy day. At 10am the cars started flowing and they didnt stop all day. We had such a diverse mix of ethnicities, ages, and livestyles, but they all had a common interest for the day. It was non stop smiles and questions all day long, with so much positve feedback which soon makes you forget all the late nights and manic planning to get the day off the ground. Tractor trailer rides, milking demonstrations, cows, calves, lambs, horse and chickens all proved very popular. A sandpit we made in one corner proved to be a kids favourite too. We made the most of the materials we could get, with AHDB and Arla both providing some really good educational posters and leaflets, and tried to promote our own produce by doing a BBQ and ice cream stall, as welll as having more trade stalls around our farm shop. People travelled for miles to come, with many coming from over an hour away. The weather was on our side all day, and we had the local Scouts parking cars which saved us a lot headachesof.”
“A fantastic weekend with positive feedback from all the visitors.”
“Fantastic to once again be involved with Open Farm Sunday So many amazing questions and even 2 youngsters from the middle of Cardiff who told me they want to be farmers New recruits for me!”
“Well supported day with some great feedback. Great to get across to the public why we do what we do. Some very interested people especially in the tech we use on our dairy farm heat detection collars; cow brushes etc. Event has grown from 250 people to 1500 this year. Great visit from Annabel Shackleton to see our event.”
“Tractor and trailer rides to see the lambs and calves on the hill ground were very popular. Many enjoyed the views and the chat of the farmer just as much. It was great to be able to talk to people about the cattle, sheep and deer and see their perceptions change of animal management and explain the good the animals do to the arehowenvironmentground/andwellthey treated.”
“It was a hot sunny day and the visitors came in their droves some from 30+ miles away. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. I am delighted with the event.”
“We decided to go hard or go home and it paid off! We used the ticketing system to help us see how many visitors to expect. On the day we had 589 tickets pre booked but had lots of people who hadnt booked turn up or even people who were just passing. We were keen to make sure the kids had plenty to do so we hid letters around the yard that kids had to find and write down and work out the anagram. We asked our local beekeepers’ association to run the bee section and got all the family involved to help run the rest. We sold out of cake and served hot tea and coffee. We also hired in a passenger trailer from our local NFU and this was a massive hit. Overall we really enjoyed organising the day and the positive feedback has given us a real buzz its definately something we will do again!”
“The preparation was a lot of work, but totally worth it. The Trybooking system was excellent. People were booked in to arrive at one hour intervals. They checked in and could look around the farm. We gave tours of the milking robots, allowed people to walk around the farmyard and had set up a few things like a visual of how much food a cow eats in a day, with the components of the diet in large buckets. We set up two walks a big field walk and a walk through the woods using the large signs distributed throughout the route. Our local primary school PTFA ran a refreshment stand to raise money for the school. The feedback from everyone has been amazing. Even though our event was pretty basic we still had 375 visitors and some fantastic feedback. A worthwhile experience ”
The yard was set up with some pieces of machinery and information posters for people to look at whilst registering, and children were armed with nature trail sheets and bug viewing pots. We started with an overview of the farm. A three mile guided walk followed, with plentiful stopping points to explain about our farming practices and for visitors to ask questions. We focussed on our environmental work and regenerative farming methods and discussed soil health, cropping plans and management techniques. Whilst in the river meadows we were lucky enough to have a fly pass from the pair of nesting curlew who have made home in one of our fields. A real treat for our visitors!”
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“We had a fantastic Open Farm Sunday event, with just over 50 visitors coming to the farm; consisting of customers and neighbours, as well as some very welcome new faces!
“For us Open Farm Sunday is the perfect opportunity for our box scheme members to come and meet us and see where some of their produce is grown. And importantly, the looming deadline of Open Farm Sunday drives us to tidy up and go that extra mile to make your farm look its best; it's hard work at the time but you can appreciate the effort and be pleased you made it when visitors are so complimentary about your farm.”
One 16 year old came with his family from a local town. He is interested in a career in farming but as he lives in a town he doesn't have any farming connections. His parents were concerned about not earning enough money in farming. We had a good talk through the different kind of opportunities in farming and how its well paid and often with free accommodation..”
We have an urban farm so our focus was very much about introducing people to a space on a lot of people's doorsteps that they may have never visited before. We held stalls from our community growers and our FarmStart trainees, both selling veg and produce We promoted our veg bag scheme, invited our beekeeper and had lots of family activities including making bird feeders, planting seeds, and a vegetable themed treasure hunt!”
“Another successful Open Farm Sunday across the country today, showcasing the positive story that British food & farming has to tell. Great to be involved for the first time.”
“We had a great mix of locals as well as from further afield we were surprised how many people travelled a reasonable distance, furthest 50 miles, just to attend our event. We were also fortunate to have BBC Radio Somerset follow us throughout this year climaxing in a live broadcast from our farm on Monday morning. Many, including the BBC crew were surprised at the amount of wild non productive areas we had on the farm and how meat production wasn't as destructive to the environment as they had been left to believe.” Listen https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/curaattion:p0c3blzx
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Last Sunday I took part in Open Farm Sunday for the fourth time (including the virtual one in 2020!). It was a pleasure to take 30 locals around the farm in Fobbing and show progress on all the projects I am wrangling. The cows and calves went down a treat. For me (and I think most of the group) the best bit was the dung beetle safari. Mia brought along some blue gloves and rectal gloves, and everyone was able to get stuck into some dung pats to find some of the delightful little critters. Thankfully the beetles behaved and were findable! It was a farmenjoyablereallywalk. ”
Neighbour arrived with 3 pigs and niece arrived with 6 pet lambs Local ladies provided cakes and savouries Sun shone Children ran around and around. Fresh milk was drunk by the bottle. Milkshakes of all colours My fantastic team wearily waved the last stragglers off the farm and we all had a late lunch with some very tired grandchildren!”
“Opened 11 3 with guided tours by one of the farmers to see milking, calving and feeding calves Arable division arrived with plants and buckets of beans , wheat etc Then down the road to our milk vending shop where we had tractors to sit on and toy tractors to play on.
Just a brilliant day all round and we had so many visitors from Birmingham that hadn't visited a farm before!”
“A continuous flow of happy, smiling people grateful to be on their local farm.” “The number of wonderful engaging visitors.” “One family, while foraging came across a recently shed grass snakeskin!” “Going out to see the highland cows in our tour trailer was pretty special; the visitors really seemed to enjoy getting up close with them.”
“17 year old and 14 year old keen on farming but from an urban background; wanted to know what career choices were.” “That an Arla tanker was parked in the garden so the children and adults could learn about milk collecting.”
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“People were amazed by the traditional hay meadows and loved lying in the long grass!” “Visitors suggesting that we should do it every Sunday!”
Stand out moments
Thank you
“Seeing everyone smiling, embracing and enjoying the farm, countryside views and animals in the sunshine.” “People were so interested in our milking robots and could not believe that the cows walk in all by themselves!” “Our milk buyer provided free milk A little boy whipped the lid off and downed the lot!” “Only open for 2 hours and 2 calves were born in front of our visitors.” “Farm Safari (5 x Tractor & Trailers) 69 trips & 4617 people over the weekend.” “One lady shook my hand and said, ‘Just wanted to say thank you to farmers for all you do for us!’" “Some really great feedback! Including from two people who now want to help us in future.” “Such a cultural diverse mix of people which was lovely.” “One lady told me she had travelled an hour and a half with her little girl and had not been disappointed.” “The engagement with our visitors they came and wanted to learn about food and farming and the environment.” “The icing on the cake was being told that your two boys are an absolute credit to you, they manned the animal pens all day and there wasn't a question they couldn't handle farm kids are a breed apart!” “Everything coming together to make a great event.” “Foot wear: flip flops by the dozen!!!” “The great feedback on social media afterwards makes it all worthwhile.” “Seeing our field full of cars and interested people.” “Great to be back after 2 years!”
Join us next year: LEAF Open Farm Sunday 11th June 2023 Take part in the farming industry’s annual open day. Build community relations and help the public to understand and value the food they eat and the work farmers do. For more information and to register and event: www.farmsunday.org Join in the conversation online: @LEAFOpenFarmSunday@OpenFarmSunday Contact us: LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) Stoneleigh Park, WarwickshireCV82LG +44 (0)247 643 lofs@leaf.eco911 Charity no. 1045781
