With spring around the corner and the first signs of new growth and life, many farmers start to think about sharing the magic of farming with the public.
The annual event, LEAF Open Farm Sunday, is firmly established as the farming industry’s annual open day. Some 400 farmers will welcome the public to discover the world of farming. By bringing together the whole farming industry across Britain – from Cornwall to Orkney, together we are having a huge positive impact showcasing British farming.
Whether you decide to host a farm walk or a full open day, every event matters. With a growing interest in the farming community, we are calling for more farmers to host events in Scotland.
To date over 110,000 visitors have attended LEAF Open Farm Sunday events across Scotland. The staggering national statistic highlights that one in five visitors had never visited a farm before so visitors are happy to experience seeing a real working farm and our research shows the positive results.
The results
Following visiting a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event:
89% of visitors said they felt more connected to the farmers who produce our food. 91% of visitors were more appreciative of the work farmers do. 73% said they now actively look for British produce to buy.It’s not a requirement to have a farm diversification or direct sales business but for those who do, LEAF Open Farm Sunday can boost your business attracting new customers and giving your current customers a chance to experience the farming stories behind your brand. It is also a great opportunity to raise money for charities and causes. Our farmer research estimated that £80,000 was raised in 2017 at events.
So, if you are thinking of taking part but not sure where to start, here are my top five tips for a first-time host farmer:
1. Start small
Start with something small like a farm walk for a limited number of people. The public love to see what we do on a daily basis so there is no need to add anything extra to your farm. A visit to see the hens and pick up the eggs, a chance to watch you feed the sheep or milk the cows or a walk through the crops/vegetable plots offer your visitors a unique experience.
2. Pre-booking ticketing service
Consider using the LEAF Open Farm Sunday booking system so you can manage your visitor numbers. This gives you some added control and confidence when planning your day, whether it is for 10 people, 100 people or more!
3. Keep it short
You don’t need to run the event for a whole day, a few hours is sufficient – just make sure you clearly advertise this on all your promotional materials.
4. Register your event
As soon as you have decided to take part register your event at www.farmsunday.org. Once registered we will send you a host farmer handbook that will provide lots of tips and recommendations to help you plan your day including activity ideas, promotion, how to order your free resources (leaflets, posters, information sheets, a gate banner, freebie giveaways, etc), risk assessment templates and health and safety guidance.
5. Start the planning now!
Give yourself enough time to plan the day and invite other local farmers, your friends and contacts from industry to help. Even if you are hosting a farm walk, writing down some short notes will help ensure you don’t miss anything.
LEAF Open Farm Sunday is all about giving the public an opportunity to see for themselves the great work we do as farmers. We don’t get many opportunities to tell our story directly to the consumer – so let’s make the most of it!
We asked visitors in Scotland what they had learned when attending a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event. With responses such as “farming is more complex than I thought it was”, “the use of GPS technology in farming is amazing”, “the amount of upfront investment and planning to run a farm is staggering” and “the farmers’ enthusiasm and knowledge was infectious”, LEAF Open Farm Sunday plays a vital role in bridging the gap between the consumer and farmer. So get involved, and join the increasing number of farmers hosting Open Farm Sunday events across Scotland. Together we can achieve so much.
With spring around the corner and the first signs of new growth and life, many farmers start to think about sharing the magic of farming with the public.
The annual event, LEAF Open Farm Sunday, is firmly established as the farming industry’s annual open day. Some 400 farmers will welcome the public to discover the world of farming. By bringing together the whole farming industry across Britain – from Cornwall to Orkney, together we are having a huge positive impact showcasing British farming.
Whether you decide to host a farm walk or a full open day, every event matters. With a growing interest in the farming community, we are calling for more farmers to host events in Scotland.
To date over 110,000 visitors have attended LEAF Open Farm Sunday events across Scotland. The staggering national statistic highlights that one in five visitors had never visited a farm before so visitors are happy to experience seeing a real working farm and our research shows the positive results.
The results
Following visiting a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event:
89% of visitors said they felt more connected to the farmers who produce our food. 91% of visitors were more appreciative of the work farmers do. 73% said they now actively look for British produce to buy.It’s not a requirement to have a farm diversification or direct sales business but for those who do, LEAF Open Farm Sunday can boost your business attracting new customers and giving your current customers a chance to experience the farming stories behind your brand. It is also a great opportunity to raise money for charities and causes. Our farmer research estimated that £80,000 was raised in 2017 at events.
So, if you are thinking of taking part but not sure where to start, here are my top five tips for a first-time host farmer:
1. Start small
Start with something small like a farm walk for a limited number of people. The public love to see what we do on a daily basis so there is no need to add anything extra to your farm. A visit to see the hens and pick up the eggs, a chance to watch you feed the sheep or milk the cows or a walk through the crops/vegetable plots offer your visitors a unique experience.
2. Pre-booking ticketing service
Consider using the LEAF Open Farm Sunday booking system so you can manage your visitor numbers. This gives you some added control and confidence when planning your day, whether it is for 10 people, 100 people or more!
3. Keep it short
You don’t need to run the event for a whole day, a few hours is sufficient – just make sure you clearly advertise this on all your promotional materials.
4. Register your event
As soon as you have decided to take part register your event at www.farmsunday.org. Once registered we will send you a host farmer handbook that will provide lots of tips and recommendations to help you plan your day including activity ideas, promotion, how to order your free resources (leaflets, posters, information sheets, a gate banner, freebie giveaways, etc), risk assessment templates and health and safety guidance.
5. Start the planning now!
Give yourself enough time to plan the day and invite other local farmers, your friends and contacts from industry to help. Even if you are hosting a farm walk, writing down some short notes will help ensure you don’t miss anything.
LEAF Open Farm Sunday is all about giving the public an opportunity to see for themselves the great work we do as farmers. We don’t get many opportunities to tell our story directly to the consumer – so let’s make the most of it!
We asked visitors in Scotland what they had learned when attending a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event. With responses such as “farming is more complex than I thought it was”, “the use of GPS technology in farming is amazing”, “the amount of upfront investment and planning to run a farm is staggering” and “the farmers’ enthusiasm and knowledge was infectious”, LEAF Open Farm Sunday plays a vital role in bridging the gap between the consumer and farmer. So get involved, and join the increasing number of farmers hosting Open Farm Sunday events across Scotland. Together we can achieve so much.
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