Open Farm Weekend Celebrates its Tenth Year and Confirms Bank of Ireland as Title Sponsor
This year’s Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend, which takes place virtually on Friday 30 July-Sunday 1 August, is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a packed schedule of virtual activities to showcase Northern Ireland food and farming at its best.
The initiative, led by the Ulster Farmers’ Union, with Bank of Ireland renewing its title sponsorship, is yet again set to capture the imagination of families and foodies from across the province and give a real behind the scenes snapshot of the local farm to fork story.
Edwin Poots, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, said: “Our agri-food industry in NI is renowned worldwide for producing high quality, wholesome, nutritious and award-winning food. Educating and making consumers aware of the source of their food, and the hard work by our farmers in continuing to produce these high quality products, has an important part to play in maintaining demand for our local produce. My Department’s continued support in the delivery of Open Farm Weekend helps meet that task.”
“I would like to thank the Bank of Ireland for their continued commitment to this important initiative, which is now in its 10th year, to the UFU in leading delivery along with all the other supporting partners. To the farms that are participating, I know that it can be a challenge to prepare and open up your farms to the general public, even in the virtual world, but I commend the hard work and passion that the host farms put in to making the weekend so successful. I would encourage people to view the virtual events to gain an understanding of the efforts of our farmers and industry in continuing to provide food on all our tables, especially during a very challenging year.”
Although visitors are unable to physically attend farms again this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, the online activities shown throughout the weekend on Open Farm Weekend’s social media channels and website will still give the public the chance to connect with more than 20 farms from across the province.
Richard Primrose, Bank of Ireland UK Agri-Business Manager, said: “The growth and prosperity of the wider NI economy relies heavily on a thriving agri-food industry. The last year in particular has shown how vital this industry is to communities within NI and we’re proud to be the title sponsor again to show our support. By continuing the online format for Bank of Ireland Virtual Farm Weekend, it will give farmers the chance to showcase their farms to new audiences. It will also provide the perfect opportunity to practically illustrate and educate consumers on how our local food is produced.”
Online viewers will get the chance to discover the wonderful range of fresh farm produce from Northern Ireland and celebrate our food heroes by interacting online with farmers who have been providing vital food and drink supplies over the last number of months.
Ulster Farmers’ Union Deputy President David Brown added; “We are delighted to be in a position to host Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend again this year, especially as this is the tenth time our farm families have so enthusiastically stepped up and embraced the event, albeit it in a slightly different format. We are indebted to our title sponsor Bank of Ireland whose support has enabled us to deliver an engaging Open Farm Weekend programme of activities across the three days.
“Our aim with Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend is to showcase the outstanding contribution our farms and farm families make in producing the quality food we so often take for granted. The last 12 months have brought about a heightened awareness of where our food comes from and puts the local supply chain at the forefront of our minds. We encourage everyone to get behind this year’s event and celebrate the wonderful produce available right here in Northern Ireland.”
Sponsors for Open Farm Weekend 2021 include: Bank of Ireland | Asda | NFU Mutual | Livestock and Meat Commission NI (LMC) | Moy Park| Irish Farmers’ Journal
More information can be found at www.openfarmweekend.com