(cont)

Visitors on 1st June will be able to enjoy guided tours of each area of the farm and will be able to ask questions about modern farming, the environmental impact of farming, machinery and technology and what happens throughout the year in an arable and livestock farming environment.

“There’s a great deal happening in the industry at the moment.” Says Graham. “Biofuels, Blue Tongue vaccination, rising fertiliser and fuel costs and difficult livestock marketing. Each of these affects the consumer and yet most shoppers remain oblivious because the issues occur in an industry of which the public is no longer a part.”

The farm is part of the 1,400 acres of farmland which surrounds the Gunby Hall Estate owned by the National Trust. Graham married Liz, a shepherd’s daughter in 1976 and he couple has tw ochildren, Andrew and Emma, brought up on the farm, both of whom still work there today. Graham took over the running of the land in 1988, initially farming just 35 acres. At that time there were many other tenents farming parts of the estate but as each tenent left the estate, the land was consolidated and now just three farmers work on the land surrounding the estate.

For Graham though, farming is still a passion as well as a profession, and he’s only too keen to diversify into ‘farm tourism’, participating in dedicated open days when the public can be properly supervised. Having been approached by the Alford NFU to take part in the event, he registered his interest on the scheme’s website and is delighted to be one of the 450 farms nationwide taking part in the open day, which is expected to attract over 150,000 members of the public.

“It makes sense for us, as we began to diversify in 2001 during the foot and mouth outbreak. Local markets were closed and wheat prices were low – we were selling for less than the cost of production for around five years – that’s why we openend our farm shop and tearoom in 2003 and 2007.”

In diversifying, Graham and Liz have become part of a new farm shop culture which the public loves… providence is important, especially to Lincolnshire consumers, who value knowing where their food comes from and who produces it. Open Farm Sunday is simply an extension of that philosophy, and for an industry that both needs and values the support of the public, Lincolnshire’s farmers are all too keen to welcome the public onto their farms on 1st June.