Hot off the Press - Federated Farmers Media Release 'Open Farm Day 2009'

17 December 2008

Open Farm Day 2009

Federated Farmers will hold the inaugural New Zealand open FARM DAY on more than 25 farms throughout the country at the same time, on the same day, March 1, 2009.

The aim of FARM DAY is to create better understanding and connections between town and country.

FARM DAY represents the first in a series of initiatives that Federated Farmers is doing to show case New Zealand’s world-class agricultural sector under the umbrella “Farmers’ Feed Families”.

“This will be a great opportunity for farmers to invite non-farmers into the country to explain how farmers farm, what farmers do and why agriculture is so important to New Zealand,” said Federated Farmers president, Don Nicolson.

“We hope FARM DAY will see hundreds of families visit the country to see where their food and fibre comes from. This is not a sanitised farm experience but a chance to meet real farmers and talk about farming practices.

“We know many city children think milk comes from a carton and meat from a supermarket refrigerator. We hope that children will come away turned on to farming and inspired by rural New Zealand,” Mr Nicolson said.

The idea of hosting FARM DAY comes from the United Kingdom, where farmers have offered these opportunities to the public for more than ten years. In the United Kingdom, open days are run by a national organisation called Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF).

Federated Farmers is determined to provide opportunities to show the public what real farmers do each day, every day of the year. Given the importance of agriculture to the New Zealand economy, FARM DAY will give people the chance to see farm eco-systems and the farming profession in action.

“Federated Farmers’ FARM DAY will be distinctively kiwi and farmers are excited about inviting urban families to see the country way of life. Farmers have great stories to tell and are enthusiastic about telling them.

“Running FARM DAY on the same day, at the same time and right around New Zealand, will make for a fantastic day. Dairy, goats, cropping, sheep, beef, bees and the high country, will all make for a diverse experience,” Mr Nicolson concluded.