Aspects of Land | Spring/Summer 2018

19 / 36

19 Spring / Summer 2018 Aspects of Land
ENCOURAGE
PUBLIC ACCESS
ON TO YOUR FARM
1 OPEN FARM SUNDAY
Managed by the
charity LEAF (Linking
Environment and Farming),
this is an annual event
that has brought two
million people through
farm gates since it started
in 2006. Over this time,
more than 1,600 farmers
have welcomed the
public for one Sunday
each year. Businesses of
all sizes take part – and
activities are as diverse
as farm walks, nature
trails, tractor-and-trailer
rides, demonstrations and
mini-farmers markets.
n
20million
UK adults are “physically
inactive” costing the UK
health service as much
as £1.2bn each year,
according to the British
Heart Foundation
2 FILM ON A FARM
An outdoor cinema
experience created
by farmer Chris Horn
in 2015 as a way to
combine his passion
for agriculture, films
and the great outdoors.
Founded in Hampshire, it
has worked with farmers
elsewhere, allowing film
fans to enjoy the great
British countryside and
have an experience where
“everyone gets the best
view in the house”.
n
3 FARMING AND
COUNTRYSIDE
EDUCATION (FACE)
A charity that helps
children and young
adults “understand the
connection between
farming and their daily
lives”. By equipping
teachers and the
education profession,
supporting farmers and
partnering with agri-food
organisations, it created
learning experiences
for more than 26,000
children in 665 schools
in 2015-16.
n Encourage involvement
Connect people to food Use the great outdoors as a setting for a cinema night
5minutes
is long enough for people
to be active in nature
(doing “green exercise”) to
benefit their physical and
mental health, according to
a University of Essex study
69%
of those who took part in
an “ecotherapy” project
funded by the mental
health charity MIND
experienced significant
increases in wellbeing
As well as recreation businesses, land
managers can also work with education
and health providers to get people into
the outdoors.
The charity Care Farming UK, for
example, currently works with 250 farms
to provide health, social or educational
care through a programme of farming-
related activities. It is encouraged as
a therapy for people with learning
disabilities, dementia or a history of drug-
use, and is set for a big expansion, with
the Government’s 25-year Environment
Plan committing to trebling the number
of places to 1.3 million a year for children
and adults in England by 2022.
In the educational arena, too, it
can be “life-changing” for youngsters
to visit farms and estates, says Gary
Richardson, Chief Executive of the charity
Countryside Learning.
“Within school communities, there is a
greater appreciation of the benefits of the
outdoor classroom,” he says. “It’s not just
a day out – it aids attainment.
“Giving children opportunities to see
first-hand where their food comes from
will become ever-more important and
the farming community is aware it has
an ageing workforce so inspiring the next
generation to work in farming is vital.”
A desire to build bridges between town
and country is also a key aim of those
who participate in LEAF Open Farm
Sunday (OFS), which sees farmers and
landowners UK-wide open their gates one
day a year to welcome the public.
OFS manager Annabel Shackleton says:
“It is more important than ever to show
the public all the great work that farmers
do. It needn’t be costly,” she points out.
“You can make an event as elaborate or
as simple as you want. Opening does take
time and planning, but it is so worth it.”
Many farmers and landowners already
do great work in terms of public access
and engagement – and more are likely to
go down this route, with the new subsidy
system set to support such endeavours,
says Philip Gready, Head of Savills Rural.
“There are certainly ‘customers’ nearby.
After all, the countryside is really close to
all our urban centres – it’s right there on
the public’s doorstep.”
n For ways to explore diversification on your
estate, contact Rupert Clark, Petworth,
01798 345 999,
Studies show the benefits that being outdoors has on physical and mental health
JOHN WARBURTON-LEE / ALAMY, SHUTTERSTOCK, iSTOCK