Planning and publicising a farm open day

What follows is the basic information you need to plan and
publicise an open day on a farm or small-holding

Publicity

Please see below a template outline press release, to complete with the details and information
specific to your event. For press releases, remember most local papers are weekly and need copy a
few days before they are published. Keep it brief and relevant and include a picture if at all
possible.

The advantage for doing this on a smaller-scale local basis is that it is ideal for your local radio
stations and newspapers, who love this sort of thing. You should find that there is plenty of interest
… just send it to Editorial or News, by email, make sure you are contactable, that all the
information is accurate and follow up with a phone call to check that they will do something about
it!

Planning the event

The following websites provide very useful information on running an open day or visit. You
should also contact your breed society, vet and insurance company. If in doubt persuade
someone else to do it!

However, for this event you really only need to have a few sheep in an accessible paddock,
preferably willing to communicate with human beings! It is also a great opportunity to promote
your breed and sell your yarns and other goods!!

• http://www.farmsunday.org/ofs/open/checklist.eb
This includes information on planning, publicity, discounted Portaloo hire, and how to make a visit
really accessible to the visitors.
• http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais23.pdf
Detailed advice on health and safety risks, particularly the risk of infections and guidance on how to
comply with the law
• http://www.rhet.org.uk/Teachers/Farm+Visits
Royal Highland Educational Trust information on farm visits – is for teachers but will explain what
they will be looking for if they visit you
• http://www.safekids.co.uk/FarmVisits.html
Advice for parents on carers on farm visits – will tell you what they may expect
• Excellent site from a farm specialising in visits. There is a good and very detailed risk assessment to
download (you will not need this much unless you have an enormous farm, a large number of
visitors, tractor rides, etc., etc but you should be able to find what you need). The other pages are
also well worth a look
• http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl/w-learning_discovery/w-school...
farming/w-schools-food_farming-health_safety.htm
National Trust pages on school visits to farms, with links to other sites as well.

If you decide to go ahead, The Natural Fibre Company will hold a list of events (there is no need to
do more than a morning or afternoon if that is all you can sensibly manage) and contact details – so
let us know and we will then be able to tell people where their nearest Sheep Meeting is located.

We have the support of the NSA, NFU and BWMB as well as the Wool Campaign for this, so they
will also help to promote things. We can also get information onto the Woolsack website, if you are
thinking of doing cushions/knitting/crochet as well.

PRESS RELEASE [DATE]

The Campaign for Wool comes to […name of place/farm]
As part of the international campaign to support the use of wool, Wool Week is being held from 5th
to 9th September in the UK with a follow-up International Wool Week in early October. There will
be many events and promotions across the country.
Here in/at [name of place], we are doing our bit by enabling local people to come and meet
our [sheep]: the original providers of [wool] knitting and weaving yarns and felts.
[Wool] is a great, high performance, sustainable fibre, with amazing characteristics: it is fire
retardant, has memory, can absorb moisture to wick it away from the body and is naturally warm
and highly insulating. [Wool] is fashionable and traditional at the same time and a great annual gift
from our [sheep – add one sentence on the breed if you like here].
[one sentence: details of what people can see/touch/buy/learn]
[add details of location, access, times and dates, any requirements on safety, facilities – car parking,
toilets, refreshments if available or a note to say they are not – add a personal flavour by mentioning
names of the family and the animals where appropriate]
Contact information: [name, address, telephone, mobile and email]
For more information, please see the following:
The Natural Fibre Company: http://www.thenaturalfibre.co.uk/node/104 - general introduction
The National Sheep Association:
http://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogse...
=40 information on the 60+ breeds of British sheep
The British Wool Marketing Board: http://www.britishwool.org.uk/edresource.asp?pageid=84 for
useful educational information about wool
The Campaign for Wool: http://www.campaignforwool.org/ information on the main supporters,
events and news in the Campaign
Woolsack project to make cushions for Olympic and Paralympic athletes:
http://www.woolsack.org/ has all the information on how to get involved