This weekend [beginning Friday 16th June] 21 farms across Northern Ireland will participate in Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend, hosted by the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC).
LMC cookery demonstrations will take place at three Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) farms - Craighall Farm, Antrim, Millbank Farm, Killinchy and Mullygarry Farm, Enniskillen.
Ian Stevenson LMC’s chief executive says Open Farm Weekend invites consumers to take a step closer to the supply chain, meet farmers and get an insight into where the food on their plates comes from.
Ian added: “Aside from the tasty food offering our demonstrations will also share insight into the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme, the farm to fork journey of NIFQA beef and lamb and the health benefits of incorporating these red meats into healthy balanced diets.”
LMC is a longstanding sponsorship partner of Open Farm Weekend. The initiative now in its eleventh year sees farm hosts open their gates, welcoming members of the public in to gain an insight into daily life on real working farms. Open Farm Weekend has become a highlight of the agri calendar, with Ian noting that it provides "a superb platform" to showcase the scope of the local farming industry.
He continued: “As the beef and lamb industry’s promotional body LMC is dedicated to increasing consumer awareness about the provenance, traceability and sustainability of NIFQA beef and lamb. Open Farm Weekend really demonstrates the sense of community that exists in our rural areas and the pride that is taken by our farmers in nurturing and protecting the countryside and environment for future generations. I would encourage people from all walks of life to engage with this worthwhile free event by attending a farm near them.”
Open Farm Weekend will take place on Friday 16th June for schools and Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June for members of the public. To view a full list of participating farms visit www.openfarmweekend.com.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
