Open Farm Weekend recruitment ongoing

Recruitment for farms to participate in Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend 2017 is still open. The event will run on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June with school visits, by prior arrangement, planned for Friday 16th.

Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend Chairman and UFU President Barclay Bell said: “We are grateful to have a number of former hosts signed up again but we still have room for some new farmers that may wish to take part. We are especially keen to hear from farming families in Counties Tyrone and Londonderry. It is a great opportunity for the industry to showcase their farms to help consumers, young and old, appreciate where their food comes from.”

In addition to the service of a mentor, farmers that sign up will be given training in advance and a range of resources to help them get prepared for the public coming onto their land. To register your interest email [email protected] or call 028 9037 0222.

The UFU led initiative, principally supported by Bank of Ireland UK, seeks to educate the public about where their local food comes from. To date over 70,000 people, including children via the Schools Programme, have visited working farms in Northern Ireland, helping them to have confidence in local farming practices and see where their food comes from.

For more information on the initiative and to download the farmer information booklet, visit the website www.openfarmweekend.com/open-my-farm.