Today (Sunday 9 June) Farming Minister Robert Goodwill visited Stonebeck Gate Farm in North Yorkshire for Open Farm Sunday.
Open Farm Sunday, which is organised by the charity Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF), offers the general public the chance to get out onto a farm in their local area and see first-hand the vital work farmers do to produce the food we eat. Many visitors also have the chance to see the important work farmers do for the environment, such as laying hedgerows and protecting habitats for wildlife.
Since 2006, over 1,600 farmers across the UK have opened their gates and have welcomed more than 2.2 million people on their farms.
At the farm, Minister Goodwill had the opportunity to see the moorland management undertaken by the farm owners and to see the farm’s sheepdogs at work.
During his visit to Stonebeck Gate Farm, Farming Minister Robert Goodwill said:
Open Farm Sunday is a fantastic initiative, getting more people out into the countryside to see where our food comes from and meet the farmers who produce it.
There are so many diverse British farming businesses and I hope that everyone who visited a farm today learned something new about what farming delivers and why it is so important – producing the food we eat, protecting wildlife and providing access to the beautiful countryside.
I would like to thank every farmer who participated today, taking the time to welcome the public onto their farms.