Scottish farmers have been producing safe, traceable and nutritious food for generations. Imports, post-Brexit, will potentially mean double standards across the food sector.

Farmers understand what this means – but do our customers? Will shoppers continue to make their purchase decisions on price?

On June 7, 2020, hundreds of farmers across Britain will be opening their farm gates for the 15th anniversary of LEAF Open Farm Sunday. The farming industry’s annual open day is a prime opportunity for farmers and crofters from Dumfries to the Shetland Isles to promote our fantastic Scottish provenance story whilst building relationships and trust with consumers.

LEAF Open Farm Sunday has teamed up with Scottish Agritourism Monitor Farm programme to host a special information presentation during their 'Telling your farming story' event on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

The presentation, which will be delivered from 3.30pm to 5pm, will be led by Scottish LOFS co-ordinator, Rebecca Dawes, who will be joined by some previous LEAF Open Farm Sunday host farmers to share top tips for planning, activities, health and safety, promotion and taking those first steps.

Rebecca commented: “Hosting an event on LEAF Open Farm Sunday is fully flexible to enable farmers to get what they want from it allowing you to decide if your event is for 10 people or 100, for one-hour or a full day.

"For farms with a diversification, it is a no-brainer – a recent survey of farmers with a diversification who had hosted a LEAF Open Farm Sunday event showed that 96% of them reported a noticeable positive impact on their diversified business.”

NFU Scotland vice-president, Martin Kennedy, with his family, opened the gates at Lurgan Farm, in Highland Perthshire, last year for the first time. He said: “We’ve got the Open Farm Sunday bug!”

“It takes a leap of faith throwing open your farm gates to the public as part of Open Farm Sunday but now that we have done it once, the June event will be a permanent fixture on our calendar.”

The LEAF Open Farm Sunday information session is on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 from 3.30pm to 5pm at Kilmaronock Millennium Hall, Gartocharn, G83 8NF. Registration is encouraged at www.farmsunday.org or phone Rebecca 07792 467730.

If you would like to attend the full Scottish Agritourism Monitor Farm meeting it commences at 10am – please note this when you register.