Ten years ago, I would have said that advocating for farming was important for the industry’s ‘licence’ to operate; now, as farmers seek more fairness in supply chain negotiations and a louder voice in shaping future policy, I think it’s fundamental for the industry’s future. Fostering deeper understanding about what farmers do, and the challenges that they face, builds respect, fairness and understanding.
I hold the greatest of respect for farmers who open their farms to the public, and the organisations – the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), LEAF and the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI), to name just a few – who fundraise and coordinate a whole host of educational and advocacy initiatives.
Since it first started in 2006, LEAF Open Farm Sunday (LOFS), has coordinated farming’s annual open day; to date, over 2,000 farmers have welcomed almost three million visitors. Last year, 52% of them were from urban areas; and one in five said they had never been on a farm before.
Evidence of my views were highlighted by LEAF. Ninety-six percent of people who visited a LOFS event last year said that they felt more connected to farmers and what they do; 81% said they were doing things differently as a result, including half of them buying more British food, while 98% said they better understood what “sustainably produced” means and 72% what farmers are doing to combat climate change.
In Scotland, farms open right across the country from a small farm walk to a full open day, ranging from 50 people to several hundred.
Jean Glennie from Hill of Ardo in Aberdeenshire was inspired to take part for the first time in 2021 and has registered to host an event again this year. She said it’s about sharing her family’s passion for what they do and giving back to the local community. In their first year they had over 350 visitors who learnt about what it takes to grow and care for a Christmas tree
To help spread the workload, the event welcomed a range of organisations to share their own stories, plus a vintage tractor display, a run round the Christmas tree plan-tation and a scavenger hunt, tasking visitors with finding objects beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Jean said: “For any farmer out there thinking of getting involved, but sitting on the fence, don’t have any doubts – just do it!”
Cambridgeshire arable farmer, Hannah Darby, said that Open Farm Sunday has helped her with staff recruitment. A chance encounter at an event in 2017 resulted in her finding a 16-year-old student who now works as an integral part of her team, having completed an apprenticeship at Shuttleworth College.
LEAF’s research echoes Hannah’s experience. In 2022, almost half (49%) of visitors said that someone in their group was inspired to consider a career in farming after attending an Open Farm Sunday event. With 20% of visitors having never visited a farm before, and visitors spanning both rural and urban areas, the initiative is helping to raise awareness and attract new people to the industry, some of whom already have a small connection to farming but may not have considered it as a long-term career.
Many farmers that I have spoken to over the years don’t feel confident enough in their communication skills, or that there is enough of interest on their farms to share, but, having attended small and niche events, they can be the most absorbing and just as powerful as an event that welcomes hundreds of people, like one farmer, who just stood in a field, to talk about wheat and making bread.
As a communicator you won’t be surprised that I talk about the importance of better communicating farming, however, I don’t think it’s ever been as important as it is now, nor have consumers ever been so engaged with understanding why we farm, and why it matters.
Jane Craigie runs a marketing and communications business based in rural Aberdeenshire.