Lucy Nott: OFS is key in PR race against plant-based eating

By the time you read this, this year’s Open Farm Sunday (OFS) will have just happened.

Organised by Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf), OFS sees farmers across the country open their gates to the public. Every event is free to attend, making it accessible to anyone.

Last year, 170,900 visitors were welcomed onto 257 farms. It is an opportunity to connect people to food production and talk through some of the common misconceptions around farming.

See also: Lucy Nott – farms are popular places to tie the knot

About the author

Lucy Nott

Farmlife opinion writer

Lucy lives with her husband, a sixth-generation farmer, and their two children on a 100ha (250 acre) arable farm in Worcestershire. On the farm they have a passion for regenerative agriculture and aspire to transition to a regenerative system. They are also part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot and are trialling lots of new things on the farm. They hosted their first LEAF Open Farm Sunday (LOFS) this year and Lucy is now the LOFS Ambassador for the West Midlands.

Read more articles by Lucy Nott

Each farm has their own motivations for opening, some do so to promote diversifications or direct sales, others open the gate to build community relations and some open simply because it is fun.

Whatever the reason, the collective value is immense, with 93% of visitors saying they have a better understanding of what sustainably produced food means, while 96% left with a greater appreciation for the work farmers do.

Meanwhile, May saw the student union at the University of Lancaster vote in favour of a ban on all dairy and meat products from university catering outlets by 2027.

Whether it be university students or a local council, it seems every month we are met with similar news stories.

Like it or not, with so much information easily accessible on climate change and food production, we are essentially in a PR race with plant-based eating.

Initiatives such as Leaf OFS are a key part of that PR race.

Nothing beats getting boots (or white trainers) on the ground and showing people how sustainably reared British beef can be a part of a climate-conscious diet.

With 62% of visitors wanting to hear stories about the farm, OFS is your chance to showcase your farm and tell your story.

Physically stepping foot on a farm and hearing a story from a real farmer can have a profound effect on a consumer’s future shopping choices.

Despite media reports, British farmers care deeply for their animals and land. We are on the front line of climate change and doing our best to get by each day.

Leaf OFS provides the opportunity to remind consumers that real, hard-working people produce their food, not magic supermarket fairies.