Peter Green is joined by Pete and Jenny Olds from Cornhill Farm in Cornwall to discuss how to put on a successful farm event.
In this bonus episode we hear more from last week's guests Pete and Jenny Olds.
Farming Focus is the podcast for farmers in the South West of England, but is relevant for farmers outside of the region or indeed anyone in the wider industry or who has an interest in food and farming.
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Timestamps
00:01 Cornish Mutual jingle
00:14 Peter Green introduces the bonus and today's guests.
00:40 Pete Olds talks about their Open Farm Sunday event.
01:43 What are the benefits of hosting Open Farm Sunday for the Olds?
03:49 There is a huge appetite to learn.
05:27 Other things that the Olds do to engage with people.
07:35 Jenny's advice to a farmer who is not sure where to start and might be wary of holding an event.
08:55 How to ensure a farm event is successful? Jenny's top tips.
10:20 What can go wrong with farm events?
12:30 Peter rounds up.
12:50 Closing message.
Cornish Mutual, farming insurance experts.
Hello and welcome to this bonus episode of Farming Focus, which is linked to episode eight of the show. If you haven't already done so, do go back and listen to episode eight in its entirety to make sure you get the most from this bonus episode. We're now going to hear from Pete and Jenny Olds from Cornhill Farm in West Cornwall.
They're going to give us their top tips for running an on farm event. So Pete, tell us more about your Open Farm Sunday event. How did you first get involved and what sort of numbers of people have you hosted on the farm? So, um, LEAF is a national organization, um, and they do, um, auditing of, of a farm's produce, um, and it's, it's one of the higher end schemes.
LEAF are actively encouraging their farm base to host an Open Farm Sunday event, which is getting the public out to you on, on the farm. And we did it about two weeks ago. Uh, three years ago. Um, it's an open farm Sunday, end of June or middle of June, usually classes are all Cornwall. So we, we stick ours at the end of June.
It's actually a great, great time for having to tidy up on the farm and just making everything look good before harvest. Last year we had about 1300 people turn up. Um, we've done about three years. So, um, yeah, it's worth certainly getting around and we quite enjoy doing that, I think. Having said that you enjoy doing it Jenny, um, what do you think the benefit to your farming business is of hosting Open Farm Sunday?
I think it's everything we've just talked about really. It is marketing, um, it's telling people about that we sell eggs. So that was, I mean, being completely immersed in me, that was the first time we started doing it. I was like, right, we need to, we need to get our name out there. But actually now coming on, it doesn't tidy up the farm, but also what we've noticed, we're changing the demographic of visitors.
So the first year we had about 400 and it was really raining off for a COVID lockdown. Dan, everyone's glad to get out. We had a lot of farming families that I recognize came on. Great. The next year, you know, I was like, I saw less farmers, but, but we were 800 people, so a lot more people on the farm. This last year, we were about 1, 200.
I hardly saw any farming families who have been probably been around before. And lots of, you could just tell more urban people, more people come from the And which I was so pleased about because actually they're our target audience. That's who we'd like to educate and tell about a farm. It's free. So you don't charge anything for them to come on farm.
So it's, and we had a, towards the end of the day, yeah, everyone's down in the yard going on the combine, doing the egg activities, looking at the grain. And there was a sea of people. And I took a photo from the top of the ramp and it looked like a little mini royal call. And I just thought, oh, people are coming on farm for free.
They've had to drive two miles down the road. I felt like, yeah. Yeah, this is, this is what we wanted to do. And they went on the track to trailer rides, pond dipping, you know, they had experiences that they never would have. And also the adults, you know, the adults of Justin sees us because the children without doubt.
Yeah. Yeah. There's a, there's a nostalgia to it perhaps, isn't it? For, for grownups, you know, they remember when they used to go to farms, perhaps when they were younger, when they were on holiday. They used to be near farms, perhaps. And there's that sort of, it ignites that in them. People, you know, when I came to, um, your open farm Sunday, um, I think it probably was the first one because it was torrential, um, you know, people were so happy despite, despite the weather.
And that might have been something to do with sort of getting out and seeing faces again, post lockdown. But it was more than that. Um, and my next question was going to be, why do you think there's such an appetite? From the public to get onto farms, but I think we've probably covered it there, haven't we?
People want to know about their food, don't they? Oh, definitely. They are, there is such an appetite to learn. You know, you're broadcasting to a really receptive audience. So, what's really sad is that so few farmers do it in Cornwall. I think, um, Nortregala's farm have done it for years and they were amazing helping us, me do the first one.
Um, they're having just a break this year, I think. And I think we're probably going to be the only working farm doing it in Cornwall this year. Because it clashes with Royal Cornwall. There are some other ones which are great, but they're not what I would call a large scale commercial farm. You know, they're more market garden type thing, and they absolutely have a value and should be visited.
Yeah. Um, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, but I, yeah, I don't know. People are really reticent. Other farms are really reticent about doing it. And I, yes, it is a bit daunting the first time, but, but it doesn't need to be. People do want to see the what's an old type of, uh, place. And I, and, um, and I think you need, you don't, I think farmers are, Oh my gosh, we need to give some exciting show.
You don't just show them what you normally do. Cause that will be exciting to them. Like getting on the tractor is thrilling to a three year old. Um, and that's fine. Done it, job done. You know, they have had a great experience. Lots of, there's a lot more to do. Yeah. So yeah, maybe farmers have too high expectations about what they need to provide, but they shouldn't do it.
Any, any farmers listening to.
Or of course, farmers across, um, the region, you know, so Devon, Dorset, Somerset, you know, this, this goes for you guys. Definitely get involved. Yeah. Brilliant. So, um, you know, this isn't the extent of your outreach though. You know, you sell eggs direct from the farm gate as we've heard about, you've got your beautifully branded vans.
You've got the rehoming days for your hens where you've got. You know, hundreds of people come into your farm. I think I'm right in saying, and we've heard many visits from schools, young farmers, clubs, various farming and non farming groups. Pete, how does each of these different contacts, contact points, you know, working with different people benefit your farm?
It's such a broad range of people that we're, we're, we're seeing, it's making contacts as well with people that you wouldn't usually see it might be a young farmer from, um, I think I've got Roach young farmers coming in amongst time, you know, and there could be businesses there that we could work with, um, there's, there's so many different aspects of working with people.
Um, and I bumped into someone at, um, uh, one of these meetings and got talking about hosting, um, Um, a monitor farm down here for, um, for cereals, because the nearest monitor farm for the HDB is up in, up in, like, Berkshire. It's, it's miles from here, and we're looking at doing that this, from this summer onwards, because it would benefit a lot of people down here.
So it's the contacts you, you meet and make. I think it's really important in, in these, uh, you know, and, and, and meeting more people and, and for me, it's just as much teaching the, the teachers when we have a school group as, as the kids, the teachers are asking, because they don't know either, and, um, it's really important.
It's important that we have a broad reach and, uh, And it's part of our job role now is, is, is educating the consumers of the future, really. And educating people that the farmers aren't really killing the environment. We are the solution, not the problem, to, to global warming and carbon footprint, footprints.
Um, You know, there's, there's more we can do as farmers, but, you know, look at the very, since this chain, we're already doing a massive pile to put carbon in the ground. And people aren't necessarily going to believe that when it's coming from somebody else, but actually farmers are in this privileged position, as we heard from Steve McLean from, from Marks and Spencers, that people really trust us and they, they do want to hear what we have to say.
Um, so no, you're absolutely right. Um, we've had a little bit about, uh, The amount of work involved in setting up farm visits, but there'll be there'll be a lot of people who are put off from from doing a farm visit or something like that. Because of that, Jenny, what would you say to them? I would say go and look on the leaf website because they've got an amazing amount of resources there.
And they're so helpful as well. So they've got a draft risk assessment. They've got draft signage. They've got loads of guidance. They do some really good webinars and Zoom meetings that you can join in and hear from other people. There's a Facebook page. So don't be put off at all, because LEAF have, um, Lots of, lots and lots of, um, uh, resources.
But the other good thing they do is you can access a free booking system, which we always use. So we now manage the flow of people because, um, I sell tickets for free. You reserve your time so that you want to come in. I do, I think, 200 every half hour. Um, and it's free if you don't throw a leaf, but this particular one and that was brilliant.
So I know how many people were expecting on farm roughly over the time and that was a game changer rather than thinking Oh my gosh, you know 1400 people turn up at once at 10 o'clock a bit of a car crash So you can manage manage the flow and you can make sure that you've got staff in the right place right times and all of that It makes it that much easier.
Okay And you know how many people to expect. Brilliant, brilliant. Um, and Jenny, how do you ensure a farm event is successful? You've, you've done this yourselves and you know, as I said, it's been, it was incredibly successful when I visited, but what are your top tips for putting on a successful farm event?
Number one would be, I'm not just saying this is Cornish Mutual, but talk to your insurer, tell them what you're planning to do, and then say for us that the sticking point of Tractor Trailer Eyes, which we really wanted to do, um, and Cornish Mutual actually were brilliant at working with us, and we found an acceptable solution in how we could do that safely.
Um, so that's my number one. Do your risk assessment well in advance, just so you're thinking about what you're actually going to do. And my third one is, Get your farming friends on farm and help you and I guarantee they will all say yes because they will It'll mean they don't have to put one on their own farm and they'll come away the warm glowing fuzzy feeling that they have done their bit for um engaging with the public community And the other one is communication really communicating your plans to your helpers Um to your insurers, but also to people who are coming and you know You can do it very easily through social media.
You capture emails, um from from the booking system. So yeah Brilliant. There's some real gems there, but plan, plan ahead. Well in advance, talk to the people that you're going to be working with and need, need help from. Um, but actually you can have a really successful day without, without it being too stressful.
That's what I'm hearing. And keep it simple. You do not need to have, um, over the top activities. People just want to see what you're doing, as you mentioned earlier on. So Pete, what, what should listeners be wary of with farm events? What, what can go wrong? Oh, crikey.
Yeah, simple things like, um, you know, if you, if you get kids in, um, to jump in a tractor, take the key out of the ignition. Um, just, just limit, limit the risk. We did not leave a key in the ignition. But the first year we had kids in the grain store and obviously it was so tipping down rain, wasn't it? And, um, and everyone was climbing up and down the grain piles.
I quite think we didn't plan for this. Yeah, I didn't think we'd do that. We actually had some toy, little tiny Britain's toy tractors and, uh, and we found a few trailers and bits and pieces in the corn as we were clearing up. Really? Yeah, so that was a lesson learned. We'll put some bales in front of the corn next year.
Um, but we've had very few problems at all, and I think you've just got to manage the risk a bit and make sure you've got people in the right places. You know, you've got first aid again at the pond, which is miles away from the farm, but you've just got to plan ahead. And it's all in the planning is making sure you've got the right people in the right places.
And, um, and the risk then is very low. And people obviously come you. With wellies on and expecting a bit of mud and um, you just got to be prepared for the old slip and trip haven't you? And the other thing I found was after you well I asked all my same farmer helpers again and they were all yeah and the second year it's so much easier because they knew what to do like oh yeah I'll be here.
And we'll do the, the, oh yeah, the calves. That was, that was what went wrong. Well, not, it didn't go wrong, but I have a great friend. I said, can you bring some jersey calves? Year one, perfect. Jersey calves turned up. Year two, I said, can you bring some jersey calves? No problem, Jenny. Down rolls the trailer in year two.
Out comes a bull. And he goes, I want I want to get them used to people for Gamelon shows. Oh my God, I did not have a bull, a herring for bull on my risk assessment. But amazingly, they just tied him up to a really good friends. And, um, he was very tame. And I've got a great picture of our children and some friends children literally splayed all over his back.
He was so, so tame. The arms only had kittens when that bull walked down the trail. I was like, what have you bought? I've got 800 people coming in with a ball. Oh, good Lord. Oh gosh. So you certainly, uh, learned the hard way, but it seems that the conclusion is it's definitely worthwhile for your business, but also for the engagement you're having with, with those consumers coming on to farm.
Thanks for listening to this bonus episode of Farming Focus. If you haven't already, make sure that you subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts so that you don't miss any episodes in the series.