“Get on my land!” says one local Newry farmer!
Excitement is building for one of Northern Ireland’s most popular summer events as a real, working farms close to Newry prepares to open its gates, fields and farmyards as part of Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend.
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Visit a farm on Open Week weekend.[/caption]
The initiative which takes places on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June this year, saw almost 20,000 people attend a free farm event in 2014. Now in its fourth year, event organisers are looking forward to another ‘bumper crop’ of farm visitors for the completely free, not-for-profit project which was created by the Ulster Farmers’ Union.
The local farm taking part in the award-winning initiative is Acton House Farm, Acton Road, Poyntzpass, Newry, BT35 6TB.
In total, 21 farms across Northern Ireland will open their gates for the weekend, hosting a variety of activities from guided tours, quizzes and games for children, to milking and sheep shearing demonstrations and delicious local food to sample. While the event makes for an excellent fun day out for the whole family, the focus is really on educating the public on the realities of food production.
Barclay Bell, Deputy President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, explained: “A recent survey from the British Nutrition Foundation* has revealed that a quarter of 5-8 year olds in the UK believe that bread comes from animals and 17% think that fish fingers come from chicken! So it has never been more important to educate the next generation on the realities of food production. The event is a great day out but carries a serious message about food and farming and encourages respect for our local food producers.”
William Thompson, Agri Manager with event sponsor, Bank of Ireland UK has called on the public to support this year’s event. He said: “Last year almost 20,000 people supported this initiative and their feedback was amazing. Farming and food production is often misrepresented and misunderstood. It is rare that our farming community can make time to open their businesses and homes to the public, so this really is a very special opportunity to experience life on the other side of the fence and to have great fun in the process! Bank of Ireland UK is delighted to be supporting local farmers and helping them to tell their story to the public.”
This year the popular UFU initiative will be working alongside the Armagh Show which takes place on the same weekend in June in Gosford Forest Park, near Markethill. The Armagh Show will have a host of attractions for visitors from farming and non-farming backgrounds and will be working with the local farmers participating in Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend to promote both events.
The range of activities on offer at each event will vary by farm, as will opening times, so please visit the website for full details of your nearest free farm event:
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