LEAF Open Farm Sunday 2018 Connecting People With Food and Farming - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

LEAF Open Farm Sunday 2018 Connecting People With Food and Farming

Showcasing British Farming LEAF Open Farm Sunday is the farming industry’s annual open day. It unites the whole farming industry and has a huge impact Number of events in raising public awareness and understanding of farming and all it 362 delivers. This year, the sun shone and families across Britain headed out onto farms in their thousands with the highest number of visitors since the campaign Record number of visitors started in 2006. Hundreds of farms opened across the UK, with over a 293,650 quarter taking part for the fjrst tjme. Events spanned all shapes, sizes and enterprises featuring a range of actjvitjes, from organised farm walks for a few local people, to larger events which aturacted thousands of visitors. The total number of visitors to LEAF Open Farm Sunday events over the last 13 years has now reached over 2.2 million, demonstratjng the enormous popularity of the day. Thank you to all the farmers and their helpers who ran events – all of them make a huge Total number of visitors since LOFS began difgerence to how the public perceive 2.2 million farming and understand its value.

Our Visitors We called on the public to get out onto farms to show their support for Britjsh farming and this is exactly what they “This is one of the did, in their thousands! This year saw a best days out to learn record breaking 293,650 people visit a about farming and the farm to discover more about what goes on behind the farm gate. environment. It gives an understanding of how LEAF Open Farm Sunday provides a farms work and also unique opportunity for everybody to some of the modern discover more about the huge diversity machinery used.” of the farming industry. It reaches out to people who would not normally have the Farmer opportunity of visitjng a farm with 38% of our visitors telling us they had never been to farm before. It also provides people with new insights into the farming industry, what it delivers beyond food productjon and its relevance to their Credit: Richard Osbourne everyday lives. 90% of visitors said that their knowledge of the industry had 90% increased following their LEAF Open Farm Sunday experience. Told us they learned something new 47:53 2in5 Urban/Rural split of visitors Visitors had never visited a farm before

Our Farmers This year, we saw the biggest increase in farms from the dairy, sheep and cereals sectors compared with 2017. All farmers were united in their desire “It was a highly to inform the public about food and rewarding and satisfying farming. experience. To see the As well as helping to raise the profjle of genuine interest and the industry, farmers also tell us they delight of the people at gain other benefjts from running a LEAF watching a cow being Open Farm Sunday event, including raising their local profjle, increasing milked or touching a calf sales and providing an opportunity to was a real pleasure.” support charitable causes. Farmer 26% LEAF Open Farm Sunday host farmers are at the heart of its success. It is their passion, inspiratjon commitment and willingness to share their story that Took part for the first time makes it such a special day. Thank you to all the 362 farmers who took part this year and to the thousands of helpers who support them on the day. Farms across the Britjsh Isles opened up – from Jersey to the Isle of Mull – all showcasing the breadth and diversity of the Britjsh farming industry, representjng all sectors, from dairy to hortjculture.

Our Sponsors LEAF Open Farm Sunday unites the Their commitment ofuen goes far beyond whole industry. Its success relies on the providing fjnancial support by promotjng fjnancial and in-kind support we receive LEAF Open Farm Sunday widely through “At Asda we believe that from our sponsors and supporters. Their social media, on their own websites and the best friend to the British generous support enables us to provide through in-store promotjons. Many of farmer is well-informed host farmers with some fantastjc free them get involved on the day itself too consumer which is why we resources, access to a team of LEAF Open with their stafg supportjng events and Farm Sunday Regional Co-ordinators, run speaking with visitors. are a principal sponsor of a far-reaching natjonal media campaign LEAF Open Farm Sunday” Our sponsors represent a wide range and provide excitjng visitor materials of industry sectors from supermarkets, Asda which engage and inform everyone machinery manufactures, plant about farming and food productjon. protectjon companies and dairy cooperatjves, through to government and The level of support we receive from the farming media. This support shows right across the farming sector is what the commitment from right across the makes LEAF Open Farm Sunday such a industry to support farmers and reach out special day in the farming calendar. We to the public to showcase Britjsh farming. have built strong relatjonships with all our Huge thanks to all our 2018 sponsors as sponsors – many having supported LEAF well as to Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) Open Farm Sunday since the start of the for supportjng LEAF Open Farm Sunday in campaign. Scotland. Sainsbury’s Resources for Host Farmers: 15 Principal Sponsors

Our Highlights In the media spotlight On social media LEAF Open Farm Sunday certainly hit the headlines this year. Our far-reaching, natjonal 800 trade and consumer media campaign across broadcast, print and on-line had a huge 65% than last year 875k 17m impact in encouraging farmers to take part and driving visitors onto farms. Highlights included over 800 pieces of natjonal and regional coverage including: The Telegraph, The Sun, Waitrose Weekend, Country Living, Delicious and First News; and on natjonal pieces of media television’s Money Saving Expert, Good Morning Britain and This Morning. Over thirty coverage pre LOFS social reach on the more Twitter impressions LEAF Open Farm Sunday local radio statjons from BBC Radio Cornwall to BBC Radio Orkney featured LEAF Open Facebook impressions 10th June alone Farm Sunday and once again, it achieved extensive airtjme on Radio 4’s The Archers. Support for fjrst tjme host farmers Government A range of new services and resources LEAF Speak Out Toolkit were developed this year to support support farmers doing LEAF Open Farm Sunday New for 2018 was our LEAF Speak for the fjrst tjme. These included a new Government support for Out Communicatjons Toolkit, an focused website page, case studies and LEAF Open Farm Sunday online resource for farmers providing bespoke resource packs. Also new for came from the highest them with the skills, know-how and 2018 was a tjcketjng service to help level. Defra Secretary confjdence to tell their farming story, farmers manage and plan ahead for of State, Michael Gove answer tricky questjons and address visitor numbers. LEAF Open Farm School Days visited Tuesley Farm misconceptjons. Featuring videos, Science on the Farm in Surrey where he tried and tested tjps, the easy to Over 3,000 students from urban and rural areas visited farms saw examples of the Visitors were able to explore the use resource helps farmers inspire, this June as part of our LEAF Open Farm School Days initjatjve sustainable farming science and technology behind farming, enthuse and engage visitors in the which inspires young people about farming and the many career methods used to produce thanks to a range of fantastjc resources world of farming. opportunitjes in the agri-industry. The LEAF Educatjon team fruit to the LEAF Marque including posters, teachers notes and supported many of the visits ofgering resources and expertjse standard and also met animated videos – all funded by BBSRC Our grateful thanks to the Crop to help farmers maximise curriculum links and raise awareness with scientjsts from (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Protectjon Associatjon for supportjng amongst teachers of the wide range of learning opportunitjes on Rothamsted Research Research Council) – thank you. this new resource. a farm. Our grateful thanks to the Henry Sale Foundatjon, The and NIAB EMR – a LEAF Nineveh Charity Trust and The CLA Charitable Trust for supportjng Innovatjon Centre. a number of LEAF Open Farm School Days events.

See you next year for LEAF Open Farm Sunday 9th June 2019 Credit: Richard Osbourne LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire CV8 2LG @OpenFarmSunday Tel: +44 (0)24 7641 3911 /LEAFopenfarmsunday Website: www.farmsunday.org @OpenFarmSunday LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) Email: enquiries@leafuk.org A charity registered in England and Wales, number 1045781