Have you ever wanted to visit a farm, take the kiddies exploring and have a ripper time? Well, I’ve found the perfect initiative for you. You could even find your very own George the Farmer! With the school holidays approaching, the NSW Department of Primary Industries is assisting in opening farm gates through the Visit My Farm initiative. What a beaut idea!
I had a chat to Sonia Muir who is the DPI Manager Business & Social Resilience Programs Head Honcho. “Spring is an excellent time to bring urban and farming communities together and to take advantage of the Visit My Farm agri-tourism trial. There is always a lot of exciting things happening on a farm during spring, making it the ideal time these school holidays to consider visiting a farm for a day, a morning or an hour,” Ms Muir said.
With the growing disconnection of people knowing where their food comes from, Visit My Farm can help people to connect with a farmer. “Some farmers are looking to add diversity to their farming operations and are keen to provide a window into farm life, so people better understand what farmers do.” Ms Muir said.
The online Visit My Farm platform provides an easy way for people to meet and chat with a farmer and to see what happens on a working farm and learn about agriculture. “Depending on the farm, visitors can do things like pat an alpaca or a calf, feed the baby lambs, pick fresh fruit or watch a cow being milked. Spring is a lovely time of the year to be outdoors, cultivate your senses or enjoy an old-fashioned morning tea in a beautiful rural environment. The website provides farm profiles on over sixty host farms located across the Eastern States for visitors to see what farm experiences are available to them.” What a beauty!
Laura Pennington, a host farmer from Candlarah Farm on the Mid North Coast, said: “If we can connect more people with where their food comes from and soil health they can make more informed choices at the checkout!”
The Visit My Farm platform lets you quickly search and book a unique farm experience. It’s so easy mates! To book your visit to a ripper farm, click www.visitmyfarm.com.au, or go to www.facebook.com/visitmyfarm.au for more info.
