Open Farm Sunday Reflection

Open Farm Sunday in numbers

The New Year is a great time to look back at the achievements of the previous year and cast an eye to the coming year and what might be coming over the horizon.  Open Farm Sunday is always the first date that goes into our farming diary at Overbury and although our visit is quite low key and limited in numbers, it's a great opportunity to talk real farming issues to those guests who book onto our tractor and trailer rides.  Our contribution is small, but collectively our industry, when it puts it's mind to it, can achieve great things.

I had a quick look back to 2011, when it was a wet and cold event at Overbury and nationally 120,000 people visited events.  Staggeringly 2016 saw in excess of 260,000 people visiting our open farms. Some of the quotes from host farmers in 2011 still ring true today:

"highly rewarding and the feedback has been extremely positive",

"I feel really proud to talk about the food we produce and the work we do for the environment".

Those messages are still so true today.  Our food and the environment, in which it is grown and nurtured, are so important and in the coming months and years we must not loose sight of this important message.  As negotiations take place about how we exit from the European Union (Brexit) it is a matter of national importance to secure a safe supply of home produced high quality, nutritious food from a protected but managed environment.  Our countryside is under pressure from more houses, more people and more access, it's something that won't change or reverse so we all need an understanding of how our countryside works.  Farm visitors also get so much out of the events, it really is a two way conversation:

"Wow, absolutely superb day.  Thoroughly enjoyed every part and my children had a great time"

"Showed a good insight into live on a working farm"

In the great world of on-line social media to get #OFS16 trending is a great achievement and it really does help to spread the word to see what we actually do. In 2011, 362 farmers opened their farm gates.  In 2016 this number had risen to 382.  My challenge to our industry is to get out there, welcome people and get involved before it is too late.  Now is the time to add June 11th into your diary, the next Open Farm Sunday event. If you are unsure about what is involved or concerned about any aspect of becoming a host, there are free training sessions run by LEAF to give you all the information you need.  So there it is, an easy New Years resolution, host an Open Farm Sunday event, make a difference to your industry and have some fun!

Open Farm Sunday-8th June

Come rain or shine we will be taking part, along with almost 400 other farmers around the country, in this years Open Farm Sunday.  The annual event is organised by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) and it is a great day out for all the family.  If you are interested in having a look around a farm to see how your food is grown and how farmers look after the countryside go to the website, type in your postcode and get searching!

We are conducting guided tours around the farm, lasting for about 1.5 hours and taking in some of the tremendous views form the top of Bredon Hill overlooking Cheltenham.  We'll be stopping off at Overbury Stud to visit the horses before heading towards Beckford and heading up the Yellow Brick Road.  We will stop off to look at the arable land and how we are using different crops to protect our valuable soil and increasing the populations of earth worms in our soil.  After this it is off around the hill escarpment to look at pollen and nectar mixes designed to provide much needed pollen and nectar for all of our pollinators and recently planted wild bird food seed mixes.  These are not not harvested but left through the winter to provide valuable winter feed for our farmland birds.  Following on we will be sampling some fresh peas before returning via the Park to look at our sheep flock  then on to the village hall.

Trailers are setting off from the village hall at 9.30, 11.30 2 and 4pm.  Places are limited so you will need to call the Estate Office (01386 725111) or e-mail reception@overburyestate.co.uk 

A Successful Day, Dispite The Weather

Our first visitor for this years Open Farm Sunday event arrived in the drizzle just before 9am.  The tractors were polished, the trailers swept and the fields nicely mown.  After a slightly delayed start we headed off to The Overbury Stud where Simon Sweeting gave us a talk about the workings of a stud farm.  It was fascinating hearing about scanning mares to check for a pregnancy at 16 days.  We also saw a Brown Hare running across one of the fields, a great start to the trip.

Following on from Simon we had a talk from Dominc Swainson about the sprayer that we use to apply the pesticides and fertiliser to the fields.  We spoke about Integrated Farm Management and gave some exampled of how we use the philosophy at Overbury Farms to help with our decision making processes.  We learnt about the annual requirement to have an MOT type certificate through NSTS for each sprayer and the fact that the sprayer operators all had to be trained through NRoSO We also spoke about the amount of planning we need to complete before fertiliser is applied to each individual field and the records that are kept of each application.  This also contributed toward the farms accreditation to LEAF Marque of which we are very proud.

Our next station was to hear all about Bumble Bees and how they can help us with pollination of our crops.  Stuart Veall works for Syngenta and he came out with a small hive of bees which everyone found amazing.  It is hoped that another year we can have a couple of hives to help with our crop and margin pollination.  We parked next to a beetle bank with pollen and nectar strips adjacent to each other and explained further about the farms conservation plans and how we are increasing food and habitat for farmland birds, including Corn Buntings and Tree Sparrows.

William Fox (Frontier Agriculture) was on hand to complete the story about what happens to our crops when they leave the farm.  He told us about biofuels created from wheat and rape, Carling Beer made from our malting barley and even how beans are used in fish food as a protein source.  Apparently when crushed the beans are sticky and can hold minerals and other constituents of a ration together in the water for feeding to fish.  (Even Farmer Jake learnt something as well!).  After the last stop we came back down from the hill and thawed out a little before unloading a repeating the process again. 

We had such a lot of help on the day from Derek, Gordon, Graham and Tim for driving the tractors and getting the farm machinery in place; Tod, James and Harry, who looked after the livestock (sheep, chickens and a duck) and from Suzie and Kieren for setting up the gazebo and organising the lists and putting the packs together on the day.  Obviously a huge thanks to our speakers on the day and to those that braved the weather to show up and listen to what I believe makes British food the safest in the world, being produced sympathetically to our environment, by the best farmers in the world.

Open Farm Sunday Training

Yesterday Suzie and I visited Aston Hall Farm, on the Spetchley Estate, for some up to date training on hosting an Open Farm Sunday event.  It seems  long ago since we hosted a training event at Overbury and I just wanted to make sure we were not missing a trick or two.

The training was being delivered by Tom Allen-Stevens and Robert Kynaston, through LEAF.

The theme for this years event is 'Discover Life on Britain's Farms' and really opens up our farms for a great day out for all of the family.  But how do we get our visitors there?  That was the first part of the training.  Depending of the size of event we wanted to host, there are lots of tools in the box; from parish magazines and postcards for small local events; through posters, banners and local newspapers for medium events, ending up with a chart topping national event using national media, tv and radio, the choice is ours.

The second aspect of the training, was once the visitors are here, what do we do with them?  We looked at activities engaging our main senses, not just sight, but smell, feel, taste and hearing.  How many people just stop in our busy lives and listen?  The blackbird or the skylark singing proudly as it rises from the field, the sound of a far off child laughing at a new discovery.

We learnt how to make a visit personal, "this is my farm", "this is how we do things here on our farm".  Engagement that's the key!

After a great game involving, leaves, roots, fertiliser, pooh and grazing cows, (I will blog about that another day), we went onto a health and safety (fake crime scene), we were the CSI farmers.  Different aspects were explored within our scenario and how those risks can be managed. Don't forget farms are dangerous places and we should never underestimate the risks that we all face every day.  But there are simple ways to avoid or reduce the risks.  Fencing off areas that you don't want people to explore, putting up signs and moving machinery inside and locking it away.  We must also remember the hand washing facilities that are required, liquid soap, running water and paper towels. 

The final part of the warm spring afternoon looked at getting the message across.  How to be positive about being a farmer and not using too much agricultural jargon.  Outside an arable meeting who would understand the expression, "using pyraclastrobin to help control septoria?" sounds obvious but I know.  I use too much jargon at times when I 'speak out'.  As the message says on Roberts shirt, visit a farm, most farmers are happy to take people around their farms and are very proud of what we as an industry do.  If you are looking to host a farm event on Open Farm Sunday please get involved and get in touch with LEAF there are lots of resources available and I know there are still some training events planned with spaces for everyone.  Put the date in your diary Sunday 12th June 2011

Open farm Sunday

Right here it is, no pictures, no funny clips just the facts! Open Farm Sunday is nearly upon us, don't worry about the weather come rain or shine we will be at Manor Farm, Conderton hosting our event from 10am until 4pm. There will be so much to see; we have for your entertainment and improved knowledge of the countryside, food and farming;-
a falonry display, ferret racing, tractor rides, cows, pigs, sheep and sheep shearing, chickens, ducks, stone walling, machinery display, john deere 'auto trac' demonstration, icecream sales and a pig roast (thank's Mick, Anne and James Meadows(Meadows Farm Shop, Bredons Norton)) a nature trail and a farm walk, organised by WCC. I think that is it but there might be more, you'll have to turn up and find out. Don't forget whatever the weather the event carries on. See you there!!!!!

Big Thank You 2 You

Well done to every-one who attended and those who helped make our Open farm Sunday event at Overbury on the 1st June the best yet. We estimate that over 220 people enjoyed the detailed farm tour with many others taking in the displays in the field. The John Deere, Autotrac 8530 proved a major success with people standing in awe as it performed a twisty route around the trees, with Trevor Bolton (Chris Tallis Farm Machinery- Service Manager) sitting in but not steering the tractor. We were also supported by The Farm Crisis Network, James Meadows (Meadows Farm Shop), Kevin Minchew (Cider), James and Harry Philips, with their ducks and chickens and the NFU. For those not wishing to miss out next year Open Farm Sunday will be on June 7th! Nationally over 400 farms were open on the same day doing all kinds of activities and events, a real credit to those farmers who support LEAF and are prepared to get the message across about British farming and food production to the general public.

3 Weeks To Go Before.....

Open Farm Sunday is only 3 weeks away as I found out after looking through the diary this morning, Help! We have put out the signs and are releasing a press statement tomorrow detailing the events of the day. For you, avid bloggers and readers a sneak preview of what you can expect to experience on your visit to Overbury Farms. There will be tractor and trailer rides around Bredon Hill, these have been lapped up by previous visitors, booking is required so if you want to come along for that ride then contact the Estate Office (01386 725110), and speak to Suzie. They will book fast and it's a first come, first serve basis! Whilst the tractors are off around the Estate, Chris Tallis Farm Machinery http://www.christallis.co.uk/will be demonstrating 'hands free' tractor driving! There will also be sheep, cows, pigs, chickens and other animals to learn about. There will be some refreshments in the cricket club, where the bar will be open to quench dusty throats after lots of talking (mine). A short nature walk, collection fun and games should also be in place to amuse little ones. Rumour has it that there will be some ice-cream to buy as well! Don't forget that the whole day is organised 'free of charge', although ice-creams and beer will of course need to paid for. Why not try and visit a few farms in the area, there are 5 registered within a 20Km radius of us at Overbury and 18 in 50km radius and make a proper day out. Click the link http://www.farmsunday.org, find a farm, and add your post code to explore the marvels of the farming world.

Open Farm Sunday Sucess!

Sunday 10th June saw over 200 people descend on Overbury for an Open Farm Event as part of a national campaign organised by LEAF. We were only one farm out of 400 all doing just that, opening the farm gates and welcoming the general public onto our farms. It is estimated that 50,000 were out on farm on one day. That is still not enough! The new Wembley stadium holds over 80,000 and they just turn out to watch a bunch of overpaid pre-Madonnas' kick a football about and pay handsomely for the privilege!

It was great fun taking people around in tractors and trailers answering questions about crops, sheep, irrigation satellite navigation, bio fuels etc. We were even filmed! Check out http://www.countrychannel.tv/ in the future to see the event! Also look out for 'Getting Your Oats' a programme shot last harvest. Caroline Drummond (Chief Executive Officer) of LEAF also came to the event which was a real pleasure, listening to her talk about LEAF, the charity and the Open Farm Sunday Initiative. Next year it's on the 8th June, put it in your diary NOW!