Speciality-Food-Magazine-March-2025

12 @specialityfood Annabel Shackleton, national manager of LEAF’s annual Open Farm Sunday initiative It can be frustrating working in a world where food convenience often overshadows people’s connection to how it was produced. The UK’s speciality food producers and farm diversification businesses are frequently trailblazers for reversing this worrying trend. To support these fabulous endeavours, Open Farm Sunday provides an amazing platform to showcase UK food production and farming practices that are deeply rooted in the local environment and communities. As we look ahead to Open Farm Sunday on 8 June, the 19th year of inviting the public onto farms, it’s crucial to recognise the importance of the agricultural industry’s annual open day. The day is so much more than a fun family outing, it has significant importance for any business looking to engage, educate and connect by demonstrating your commitment to quality and sustainability directly to consumers. GETTING INVOLVED National plans are well under way, and I would encourage all farm shops to get involved! Since 2006, over 6,000 Open Farm Sunday events across Britain have welcomed 3.25 million visitors. I’m inviting you to take up the mantle this year and grow these valuable connections far and wide. It could be as simple as hosting a timed workshop or farmwalk with a local farm supplier, followed by a tasting session. Whatever the scope of the activity you choose to undertake on farm, there is a wealth of information available to help make that journey as straightforward as possible. SUPPORT PACKAGE This year LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is offering our best- ever preparation support package for potential hosts. We have two free in-person workshops being held in Yorkshire and Berkshire during March. There’s also a series of nine Zoomwebinars running until May which address a broad range of topics for running successful events, including logistics, publicity, visitor engagement, and safety protocols. We also publish a free handbook with everything you need to know, offering guidance and ideas to both novice and seasoned host farm shops. THE BROADER IMPACT Participating in Open Farm Sunday has a profoundly positive effect. Our 2024 impact report demonstrates just how powerful this on-farm connection can be with 96% of visitors leaving with a greater appreciation of the work farmers do, while 91% of visitors are motivated to buy more British produce. This research highlights the benefit of engaging with the public, not only does it stimulate greater understanding it also increases consumer trust and confidence. For me, Open Farm Sunday is not just about educating communities about farming with nature - it’s an opportunity to inform potential customers on why their choices are so important. Your field to fork stories matter - and people are hungry to learn. SUPPORT FOR NEW AND RETURNING HOSTS Connecting the public with farming has never beenmore important and this year we hope to bring evenmore stories to life to reinforce the value of every link in the farm-to-fork chain. For additional information about Open Farm Sunday and details on how to become a host or to book your place at the upcoming workshops and webinars, please farmsunday.org Open Farm Sunday’s role in bridging the farm-to-fork gap