Open Farm Sunday to be postponed by two weeks

Host farmers are being asked to use a booking system this year
Host farmers are being asked to use a booking system this year

Open Farm Sunday will be postponed by two weeks following the official announcement on the roadmap out of lockdown in England.

Organisers LEAF have decided to move the date of their flagship event to Sunday 27 June, two weeks after the original date planned.

Announcing the news, LEAF said they still anticipated Open Farm Sunday to be more popular than ever this year after months of restricted activity and many country shows cancelled.

LOFS Manager, Annabel Shackleton said: “By 27 June, restrictions should be lifted for most parts of the country, giving our farmers and the public confidence to enjoy a safe, informative and fun day out on farm.”

Host farmers are being asked to use a booking system this year, through the LOFS TryBooking ticketing service, Facebook, or their own, in order to avoid overcrowding.

Ms Shackleton said this would help keep staff and visitors Covid-safe, and to inform visitors in case of any changes in plans.

“Big events may not be practical this year, but if the public is surging to the countryside, we’d love to see hundreds of smaller events taking place,” she added.

“This is an excellent opportunity to share the farming, sustainability and food production story, but also, crucially, how to respect the countryside as we head into the summer holidays.”

LEAF is working with farmers to produce a series of films offering support on hosting events, and guidance on complying with Covid-safe measures.

More details will follow later this month, the organisation said.