Farmers are being invited to virtually connect the public with food production and the countryside as part of a new educational initiative in June.
With farm visits on hold and LEAF Open Farm Sunday postponed to September, organisers Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) have announced they are running the first Online Farm Sunday.
From 8am to 8pm on 7 June, farmers will be taking over the LOFS Facebook channel and hosting virtual tours showcasing what is involved in producing food and enhancing the environment.
The new virtual format will allow for live interaction and questions from the public, LEAF explained.
Annabel Shackleton, manager of LEAF Open Farm Sunday, said: “We wanted to celebrate it and all those who get involved, albeit in a different way.
"It is sad that the on-farm events cannot run as usual, but this will be a great opportunity for even more farmers to get involved online.
"Families will be able to get an insight into a whole range of farming enterprises across Britain in one day, in a very accessible way.”
Farmers have been urged to post short film clips and images throughout the day on their own channels using the hashtag #LOFS20.
“We have an amazing fan base of visitors who support LEAF Open Farm Sunday each year who are keen to keep in touch with what’s happening on farms,” added Mrs Shackleton.
The plan is still for LEAF Open Farm Sunday to take place on the later date of Sunday 20 September.
Hundreds of farms across the country opened their gates to host over 230,000 visitors during last year's Open Farm Sunday.
Feedback from both farmers and visitors indicated a growing interest in British agriculture and food production.
