Call for farmers to go online and get involved with Open Farm Sunday 2010
New for 2010, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is launching an online workshop, at www.farmsunday.org, for farmers interested in opening their farm on Open Farm Sunday 2010 (13 June). The online workshop provides practical advice on how to hold a successful Open Farm Sunday event. It features farmers offering guidance, suggestions and valuable tips for opening a farm on 13 June, including health and safety considerations and activity ideas too. Open Farm Sunday, now in its fifth year, helps the public discover and understand the story behind their food, and the dedication and skill of farmers who produce it. Manager of Open Farm Sunday, Tom Allen-Stevens said: “Holding an Open Farm Sunday event is a very rewarding experience. Events needn’t be complicated to arrange and can be on a scale to suit the farmer and the farm. Whether large or small, invite only, or open to everyone, it’s a fantastic opportunity for farmers to engage with their local community and communicate the excellent work they do to produce the food we all eat.” Those planning to host an event are encouraged to register as soon as possible at www.farmsunday.org. Tom Allen-Stevens explains: “Resource packs started to be sent to host farmers before Easter. To ensure a successful event, farmers are urged to start putting plans in place now.” In addition to the online workshop, LEAF offers farmers free support to help them hold an Open Farm Sunday event including: - The resource pack which contains publicity material (posters, flyers, etc), suggested activities, health and safety guidance and polo shirts - www.farmsunday.org where farmers can register their event, find out more about Open Farm Sunday and where details of their events will be displayed - Regional coordinators who are providing support at a regional level, helping to increase the success of Open Farm Sunday for everyone For more information visit www.farmsunday.org or telephone LEAF on 02476 413 911. -Ends- Notes to editors: • LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) promotes environmentally responsible farming. We support farmers to produce good food, with care and to high environmental standards, identified in-store by the LEAF Marque logo. We build public understanding and trust of food and farming in a number of ways, including Open Farm Sunday and visits to our national network of Demonstration Farms. Everyone can get involved! • The fifth annual Open Farm Sunday on 13 June provides a great opportunity for the public to truly get to know how their food is produced and how the countryside around them is cared for • Visitors will be able to learn from farmers themselves how natural plant and insect species are encouraged to thrive alongside crops, they will get a close-up look at farm animals and see how the needs of wildlife are balanced with modern food production • LEAF organises Open Farm Sunday and supports farmers with putting on an event that is not only enjoyable, but gives visitors a really fascinating insight into aspects of the countryside that they would not usually see or experience on an average day out • LEAF supports both LEAF and non-LEAF member farmers by hosting a number of workshops across the country with practical advice and tips for organising successful events. LEAF also provides free promotional support materials and an interactive online event database to register details of farmer events • Food carrying the LEAF Marque logo shows that it has been grown by farmers who are committed to looking after the countryside and the environment. LEAF farmers are subject to an independent LEAF Audit, designed to help them meet the change in demands placed on operations by legislation, the marketplace, community and the industry. • An increasing number of farmers are signing up to support LEAF to demonstrate how they are integrating modern farming with environmental conservation • Principal sponsors for Open Farm Sunday 2010 are: ASDA, Defra, Frontier, LEAF Marque, Morrisons, National Grid, Natural England, Waitrose, Warburtons and Love Food Hate Waste and Home Composting • The additional sponsors are: DairyCo, Dairy Crest, EBLEX, HGCA, Marks and Spencer, NFU, GrowHow, Produce World, Soil Association, Duchy College, Farm Stay UK, Wiggly Wigglers.
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