Over 225 farms welcomed thousands of people after opening their gates to the public for the annual Open Farm Sunday initiative.
Farmers across Britain took part in the 18th anniversary Open Farm Sunday, the industry’s annual open day which took place on Sunday 9 June.
Managed by Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) since it began in 2006, the day aims to put farming centre stage.
Annabel Shackleton, OFS manager, said it had been a 'truly tremendous' celebration of the industry. "The feedback we’ve received has been phenomenal," she said.
More than 225 events took place on farms of all types and sizes across Britain, from Jersey to Shetland, according to LEAF.
And promotion on broadcast media, including on BBC Radio 2, as well as over 40 local and regional radio stations, highlighted the work farmers do.
It comes after LEAF commissioned new research which indicated that while most Britons (94%) think the work that farmers do is important, only 12% of them claimed to be well informed about what farmers do for the countryside.
Mrs Shackleton said its because of these findings why an event like Open Farm Sunday was 'so important' for the industry.
“People have a healthy appetite to learn more about what farmers do in terms of land management, nature protection, environmental stewardship and food production," she said.
"The most powerful voices to share their knowledge and experiences are those of farmers themselves and this year’s OFS activities have proved just that.”
Next year’s Open Farm Sunday will take place on 8 June 2025.
