LEAF Open Farm Sunday strengthens public trust in farming

LEAF Open Farm Sunday has long been the industry’s annual open day, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors on farm every year.

This year’s event held last month was no exception, attracting 175,000 visitors, 20 per cent of whom had not visited a farm before and over half (52%) coming from urban areas.

Visitor feedback shows the true impact of LEAF Open Farm Sunday, with 72 per cent of visitors reporting feeling positive about what the industry is doing to help combat the climate change crisis. In addition around half (49%) visitors said the visit had inspired someone in their group to consider a career in farming.

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LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) who have been managing Open Farm Sunday since it began in 2006, supported over 250 farmers to open their gates from Jersey through to the Shetland Isles for this year’s annual event, raising awareness about food and farming and offering fun, interactive and informative days on farm for families from all walks of life.

More than 170,000 visitors flocked to LEAF Open Farm SundayMore than 170,000 visitors flocked to LEAF Open Farm Sunday
More than 170,000 visitors flocked to LEAF Open Farm Sunday

The messages shared by farmers resonated with visitors this year, with 95 per cent rating events as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, 79 per cent said they learned something new about British food or farming, and a further 85 per cent reported that visiting a farm on LEAF Open Farm Sunday had increased their trust in British farming.

Annabel Shackleton, LEAF Open Farm Sunday Manager said: “We are thrilled with the hugely positive impact that we have had this year.

"Farmers are being hit hard by labour shortages and soaring costs, and the fact they have still jumped at the chance to showcase British farming is testament to their commitment and passion when it comes to sharing their story.

"We’ve once again demonstrated the pow­er of LEAF Open Farm Sun­day in con­nect­ing peo­ple – from both urban and rural areas – to where their food comes from, how it is pro­duced and the farm­ers who make it all hap­pen.”

LEAF Open Farm Sunday 2023 will take place on Sunday, June 11, registrations are already open for farmers wanting to take part: www.farmsunday.org.

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