Hundreds of farmers across the UK are set to open their gates this Sunday, 10 June, as the Open Farm Sunday initiative returns for another year.

Around 20 farms across Scotland will take part in the industry’s annual open day which is managed by Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF).

Each farm will plan their own events, but activities can include meeting the animals, guided farm tours, machinery demonstrations, understanding the science in farming and tractor rides. The project began in 2006 and allows farmers to share their work and stories with the public, with the aim of helping to provide education and to bridge the gap between farms and consumers.

Since the first Open Farm Sunday took place, over 1,600 farmers have opened their gates across the UK to welcome more than two million people onto their farms – with more than 110,000 of those visitors heading to a farm in Scotland.

The event is also an opportunity for other farmers to head along and see if it is something they might consider taking part in themselves.

According to a LEAF Shared Success report on last year’s Open Farm Sunday, 86% of visitors reported that they learnt something new on the day and one in five people were visiting a farm for the first time.

For full details on each host farm, including booking requirements visit: www.farmsunday.org.