91 percent of people are more appreciative of the work farmers do after attending an Open Farm event, a new survey shows.
The results of the LEAF Open Farm Sunday visitor follow-up survey, released this week, highlight how important public access onto farms is to how consumers view British farmers and farming.
Ninety-one percent of those surveyed said that after visiting a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event last year, they were more appreciative of the work farmers do.
89% said they felt more connected to the farmers that produce British food.
Critically, for farmers, 73% said they now actively look for British produce to buy since visiting a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event.
Defra Secretary Michael Gove cited LEAF Open Farm Sunday as a “great public initiative” during his address to the Oxford Farming Conference.
He explained “how campaigns such as LEAF Open Farm Sunday help reconnect urban dwellers with the earth and that they also help secure consent for investment in the countryside as well as support for British produce.”
'Public access, public good'
Commenting on the findings of the research and Mr Gove’s speech, Annabel Shackleton, LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday Manager said "public access is a public good".
Ms Shackleton explained: “Mr Gove made it clear that public access is rightly going to be at the heart of the new direction for farming support, post Brexit and this couldn’t happen at a more important time.
“With 84% of respondents who visited a farm for LEAF Open Farm Sunday in 2017 saying that it had changed the way they think about farming, we are urging all farmers to take part this year on the 10th June.
“The benefits of LEAF Open Farm Sunday are proven and extensive and for farmers it is one of the best possible ways to show the public what you do and to encourage them to support British farming by buying British produce.”
Great British Farm Day
Registrations for this year’s LEAF Open Farm Sunday opened in November and 55% of farmers registered will be taking part for the first time.
The 2018 theme will be The Great British Farm Day. The organisation has said that opening gates on the 10th June 2018 has a "huge positive impact", which helps people understand all that farming delivers.
One farmer who took part in LEAF Open Farm Sunday for the first time in 2017 was Ali Capper, who runs Stocks Farm on the Herefordshire / Worcestershire border.
She spoke about the event: “There is no doubt that doing LEAF Open Farm Sunday is a fantastic way to raise your local profile. Being able to share what we are doing is really rewarding.
“We had lots of stimulating discussion and questions around values, prices and costs; visitors genuinely wanted to understand the farm’s relationship with customers. LEAF Open Farm Sunday provides the perfect platform for farmers to showcase the fantastic work they do.”
