Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend launches immersive 360° farm experience to bring Northern Ireland’s farm-to-fork story to life
Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend has launched a new immersive 360° video experience from Stonebridge Farm, Ballygowan, designed to give the public a first-hand view of life on a working Northern Ireland farm.
The initiative comes ahead of this year’s Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend, taking place from 12–14 June. Now celebrating its 15th year, the much-loved event welcomed around 11,000 visitors last year. With farms opening their gates in every county across Northern Ireland, it continues to offer families, schools and the wider public a unique, hands-on opportunity to connect with farming life, discover where their food comes from, and learn more about how it is produced.
The new 360° video, filmed at Stonebridge Farm, invites viewers to step inside a real working farm, walk alongside Robbie, and experience first-hand how the family cares for their animals each day. From prize-winning pigs to children bottle-feeding lambs, it offers an authentic glimpse into life on the farm, the next best thing to being there in person.
Viewers can follow the family as the children take on responsibility for feeding lambs and caring for pigs and cattle, before the journey ends in the farm shop, where produce is sold directly to customers. Along the way, Robbie shares his passion for farming and even reveals his all-time favourite pork chop.
John McLenaghan, President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), which organises the event, said: “Our aim is to give people a real taste of farm life and inspire them to visit one of our participating farms during Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend. Every farm is unique, reflecting the work it does and the food it produces. To plan your visit, simply go to the Open Farm Weekend website to find a farm near you and explore the full range of activities taking place over the weekend.”
Organisers also highlight the importance of accessibility in the new 360° experience, which allows people who may be unable to travel, including schools, families in urban areas, or those with mobility challenges, to experience a working farm environment from the comfort of their own home.
John continued: “Open Farm Weekend has always been about opening the farm gates to the public, giving people a genuine, hands-on understanding of the journey from farm to fork. We’re constantly exploring new ways to reach even more people and offer a behind-the-scenes look at farming life. Our new 360° video allows us to extend that reach further than ever, with the Neil family bringing farming to life for those who may not be able to attend in person, and we hope also inspiring more visitors to explore our participating farms over the weekend.”
Viewers can experience the full 360° feature by opening the video on YouTube. When watching on a mobile phone or tablet, simply move your device around to explore the farm from every angle. Desktop users can click and drag with their mouse to navigate the full 360° view The 360° experience is available to view online ahead of Open Farm Weekend, offering audiences a first-person look at life on a working Northern Ireland farm and a taste of what they can experience for themselves this June.
As always, this year’s programme includes a dedicated schools-only day on Friday, where pre-booked school groups visit farms to take part in learning experiences aligned with the curriculum. The weekend then opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday, with farms welcoming visitors for tours, food demonstrations, animal handling, and a wide range of interactive activities.
To view the full length 360 video on Stonebridge Farm go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhGm1dIAcbA and then go to the Open Farm Weekend Website to plan your trip to any one of our farms open to the public across the weekend 13th-14 June.