With our deep farming roots, it’s been an honour to work with the Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) team. We delivered this year’s communications campaign for their annual event, Open Farm Sunday (OFS).
In the weeks leading up to 9 June, there was a real buzz in the media. We saw our hard work come to fruition. It’s a fantastic initiative that Pinstone was thrilled to support. It shines a spotlight on the positive outcomes that our farmers achieve as custodians of the land.
Fulfilling a special birthday brief
As the event’s 18th anniversary approached, our objective was not just to celebrate the legacy of OFS. We also aimed to inspire a new wave of farmers to open their gates and share their stories with the wider public.
Our overarching goal was to elevate OFS as LEAF’s flagship event. We aimed to build greater trust from participating farmers, connect people with their local producers and highlight the importance of farming with nature. To achieve this, we set some robust SMART objectives around media and sponsor engagement, in addition to farmer recruitment and retention.
Bringing Open Farm Sunday to life
To boost farmer participation, we leveraged authentic peer-to-peer storytelling and practical advice. Our digital and print content featured past hosts, who shared their personal experiences and insights. This encouraged others to register their farm this year.
Moreover, a tailored, trade PR campaign focused on overcoming perceived barriers to entry. It promoted the accessibility and value of hosting an event, whatever the scale.
Additionally, LEAF’s extensive OFS visitor and educational research gave us a solid foundation to substantiate our key campaign messages. Last year’s visitor survey demonstrated the public’s appetite to better understand farming. An overwhelming 96% of visitors say they leave farms with a greater appreciation of the work farmers do after attending an OFS event.
After delivering the communications campaign and seeing the results, myself and a gaggle of small people were keen to take part in the day and see it come to life. For my 13-year-old nephew, who has ambitions to farm himself, the visit gave him real insight into the breadth and complexities of a farmers’ role. Our host conveyed that farming is not just about food production but also about protecting the natural landscape we value so much. He also explained how the farm is able to be sustainable by growing protein-rich crops on-site to feed their cattle and sheep, rather than importing it.
It’s been a fantastic campaign to deliver. Giving us scope to showcase our passion to deliver a compelling narrative that resonates with both farmers and the public. This helps achieve the goals of fostering a deeper connection with the land and those who cultivate it.
Looking ahead
We’re already looking forward to OFS 2025!
If you’re interested in learning more about OFS, take a look at the highlight video below.
