A series of breakfast meetings will be hosted across Britain over the next few weeks by the organisers of the popular flagship on-farm event, LEAF Open Farm Sunday.
Open Farm Sunday (OFS) returns this year on 11 June, with a focus on sustainability and the health benefits of locally-produced food.
Organisers of the annual open day, Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF), are calling on farmers to take part.
Ten regional LEAF OFS ambassadors are holding informal meet ups over breakfast to support farmers thinking about taking part in the event.
The meetings, commencing from today to 4 April, are designed to give farmers an insight into what holding an event involves.
OFS ambassadors will also highlight the steps involved in opening up farm gates to the public, as well as the range of OFS resources and support available.
Topics covered will include managing visitor numbers, creative activity ideas and how to ensure visitors are safe on farm.
OFS manager, Annabel Shackleton said: “These breakfast meetings are a great way to take the first step to planning your event this year.
"Come and find out why farmers host year after year, hear inspirational stories about LOFS experiences and ask your burning questions.
"It’s a fantastic chance to meet others and be a part of this community of host farmers passionate about sharing the story of farming with the public.”
Last year, over 250 farms opened their gates, welcoming over 175,000 people onto farms across Britain.
Farms of all enterprises and sizes took part to stand up and showcase the work farmers do to produce food whilst also enhancing the environment.
LEAF then asked visitors what they took away from visiting a farm, with the vast majority (85%) saying they now had more trust in British farming.
A clear majority (79%) said they learned something new about farming, while 72% said they felt the industry was doing something to help combat climate change.
