Farmers must communicate everything that is positive about their work to convince consumers and attract the next generation, English farmer and presenter of the BBC television show Countryfile Adam Henson has said.

"The key to sustainability is making money," Henson told the Alltech European Technical Summit in Dublin this Thursday. He shared his experience growing up on an unprofitable rare-breed sheep farm, which his father decided to open to the public.

"It gave us the income stream and the ability to communicate," Henson said. The venture also put him in contact with the BBC for the first time.

Building a brand

According to Henson, building a brand based on strong values is important for farmers – not only to sell their products.

"When they are successful, shout about it, because it attracts the next generation in the industry," he said.

Communicating the reality of farming to the general public is important because so many people don't know where their food comes from.

"I’ve seen children who had never seen a sheep before – it’s like an alien had walked into the room," Henson said.

Opening farms to the public and being transparent will become more important as the millennial generation wants to know more about animal welfare and environmental standards, he added.

"If you’re doing something that you wouldn’t do in front of a camera, you probably shouldn’t do it, because there are cameras everywhere – on phones," he said.

Read more from Adam Henson soon in Irish Country Living.

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