Farmers encouraged to open their farms

Farmers across Scotland are being encouraged to open their gates to the public for Open Farm Sunday 2017.

Registration is now open to take part in the annual event on 11 June. Open Farm Sunday is a great opportunity for farmers to show the public their achievements and the range of goods and services they deliver. 

In 2016, 88% of visitors reported they had learnt something new and 22% had never visited a farm before. With greater public interest in next year's event, organisers are looking for more farms to get involved.

Rebecca Dawes, whose family have hosted nine Open Farm Sunday events, said:

"Last year more than 20,500 visitors stepped foot on a farm in Scotland to hear directly from those at the heart of our agricultural industry. The 21 host farmers who took part covered a wide area of Scotland but with a greater interest from the general public we are looking for more host farmers to come on board and join those who are already passionate about Open Farm Sunday.

"Open Farm Sunday is fully flexible so that farms of every size and type get involved whether you host a private farm tour for an invited audience or an open event for 100+ visitors. Some hosts require visitors to pre-book so they can control the numbers. For those with farm diversifications it is a great way to boost the profile of a business and help increase sales. So if it is your first Open Farm Sunday you can keep it as small and simple as you want."

Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive of LEAF said:

"LEAF Open Farm Sunday provides the perfect platform for farmers to shine a light on what they deliver and why supporting British farming matters.  Everyone can and should get involved in Open Farm Sunday to help the public discover the world of farming."

To help more farmers host an event, LEAF is developing a new programme of Open Farm Sunday bite-size webinars, blogs and case studies to give farmers the knowledge, ideas and confidence to invite the public onto their farm. A team of Open Farm Sunday Co-ordinators and LEAF staff are on hand to support farmers, and a dedicated Scottish webinar has been scheduled for 28 February 2017.

For more information on how to get involved or to register a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event visit www.farmsunday.org or contact Rebecca Dawes on 07792 467730, ofsrc.scotland@gmail.com.