Open Day aims to give public a peak at primary sector

Connecting city folk with ‘what goes on behind the gate’ is just one of the objectives for the upcoming Farm Open Day to be held at the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF).

Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural event, the farm will once again open its gates to the public to showcase the operations of a commercial dairy farm and provide perspective on the broader scientific, commercial and logistical aspects of sustainable food production.

The event is organised by the South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) and Fonterra, and will include nine outdoor educational demonstrations and displays which take people on the journey of ‘turning sunshine into food’. A central marquee will offer information to the public, along with samples of a range of milk-based products, such as cheeses, yoghurt, milk drinks and ice creams.

It is hoped those attending will come away with a wider understanding of the primary sector as a whole.

“Although New Zealand remains less densely populated than many overseas countries, most of us live in highly urbanised areas. This has removed many of the opportunities for consumers to experience the transformation of sunshine into food,” says Executive Director of SIDDC, Ron Pellow.

“With a particular focus on dairy, we hope to show the extent the primary sector plays in our day-to-day lives. Almost every ingredient or item of food in the supermarket or at your local café has come from a farm, and so we think it’s important that people can see the processes that get these products from the paddock to the plate,” he said.

The Farm Open Day for the public is to be held on Saturday 22 November (1pm – 4pm), however the Friday beforehand is a dedicated Schools’ Day (12.30pm – 2.45pm), whereby schools can register to bring their students along as part of an educational day out.

“We see the Schools’ Day as being particularly important,” says Rosie Petrowski of SIDDC. “Many students have limited first-hand experience of farm life or the complex aspects of food production.”

“Of the classes already registered to visit, most are outside traditional agriculture. This is very encouraging, as it suggests an increasing interest in New Zealand’s ability to produce food,” says Rosie.

Entry to the Farm Open Day is free, courtesy of support from a number of sponsor organisations.

Travelling to LUDF takes 20-30 minutes from Christchurch’s CBD. The farm is approximately 2 kilometres from Lincoln, at the southern end of Shands Road, just before the intersection of Shands Road and Ellesmere Junction Road.

More information on the event can be found at www.sunshine-into-food.co.nz

End

© Scoop Media