Come And Discover Life On the Farm on Open Farm Sunday

Sunday 17 June 2012 is Open Farm Sunday and Holly House and Whitehouse farms in Shottle are inviting visitors to come and discover more about food and farming.

This annual nationwide event is organised by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) and along with Holly House and Whitehouse, hundreds of other farms across the country will be hosting events. Open Farm Sunday is a great day out for the whole family and provides a fantastic opportunity to find out more about how farmers produce our food, and the ways they care for our countryside.

* When: Sunday 17 June

*Where: Holly House Farm, Shottle, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 2ED

* Opening Time: 10am until 3pm

* Admission Cost: FREE

Activities will include, Big tractors and machinery, Vintage tractors, Tractor rides, Cows and calves, Sheep shearing demonstrations, Nature trails and walks.  A BBQ and cream teas and cakes, Local ice cream tasting.  Father's day competitions.  Lots of fun activities for children.  The Young farmer's club will be attending and there will be lots of interesting stalls.

Bill Dilks farmer from Holly House farm said,  "The team and I are really looking forward to welcoming visitors to our farm on the 17th June so people can find out for themselves about the story behind their food and see how we care for the countryside too.

During your visit to Holly House and Whitehouse farms you will discover that we are farmers and agricultural contractors  growing  wheat oats barley and grass organically to be eaten by our cows and calves to produce organic milk.  Come and meet our herd of dairy cows, and learn how their milk ends up in McDonalds restaurants!"  

Apart from being an organic farm which is environmentally friendly anyway, Holly House Farm also plant trees and cover crops for wild birds.  On your walks you will see newly planted trees together with old established trees, streams, and ponds. There will be lots to see and do including guided farm tours, tractor and trailer rides, sheep shearing as well as refreshments and a display of some of the equipment we use on the farm.

Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), organisers of Open Farm Sunday said: "Open Farm Sunday is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to visit the countryside and find out for themselves about how the food they eat is produced – from breakfast cereals, bread and cheese to vegetables, fruit and milk and even cooking oil, our farmers produce it all! You can also see how farmers care for the countryside and the wildlife that live there, such as the woodlands, hedgerows and wildflower meadows they manage."   

This will be the seventh Open Farm Sunday and around 400 farms across the country are expected to open. For up-to-date campaign information and to let us know about your time on the farm you can  follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/openfarmsunday.  

To find out more about LEAF and Open Farm Sunday call 02476 413911 or visit www.farmsunday.org or www.leafuk.org