Cambridgeshire farmer hopes for feelgood factor through Open Farm Sunday
Thousands of visitors are expected today
A Cambridgeshire farmer hopes today's Open Farm Sunday event will help bring the feelgood factor to people of all ages.
Up to 12,000 people are due to visit Park Farm in Thorney during the weekend including for the free event, which aims to teach people about how farmers produce food while caring for the environment and wildlife.
This includes through community group stalls, a kids zone, demonstrations and cooking activities.
Since 2006, more than 2.7 million people have visited farms across the country through Open Farm Sunday.
Michael Sly is from Park Farm:
"It gives them a good social and mental health wellbeing to be together, share a fun day or two, whether that's the interaction through burger making or butter making, there are many things families can get involved with," he said.
"It's an opportunity for communities to come together and hopefully the great British public will be able to go away feeling good about what they eat and what they see in the countryside."
Almost 90% of people learnt something new about farming
In its impact report for 2023, sustainable farming charity Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF), which runs the Open Farm Sunday events, said almost 171,000 people visited farms at its annual open day.
The report found 88% of people came away learning something new about farming.
While nearly three-quarters of people said they felt the farming industry is helping tackle climate change.
Impact on next generation
"Where we grow our crops, whether it's mustard or sugar, there's interaction you can share with that story and give people a sense of place of when they do go to buy their food, they can think 'I can relate to that now'," Michael added.
"Grandparents love to take their grandchildren to pick their own potatoes.
"It encourages people to think 'potatoes grow in the soil, this grows there' and kids are more likely to want to eat something they've seen where it comes from."