Adam Henson helps launch
Open Farm Sunday 2011

In this video, TV's Adam Henson from Countryfile teaches us about some of the work that farmers do looking after the countryside and its wildlife whilst producing the food we eat.

The countryside is full of amazing hidden facts:

  • Farmers manage 75% of the total land area of the UK -- nearly 20 million hectares - or 40 million football pitches - and more than 85% of the countryside
  • There are 500,000 km of hedgerows in England and Wales -- that's enough to go 12 times round the earth
  • The average farmer spends almost 100 hours every year managing hedgerows
  • Hedges and beetle banks are important for bat navigation. Bats cannot navigate over featureless areas so by using hedges and beetle banks they can find their homes and food more easily.
  • Bees are vital for food production -- introducing bee colonies to orchards can increase fruit yield by around 50-80%
  • In Britain, one farmer manages an area of crops about the size of a town, but with an army of helpers -- one square metre of soil contains over 250 earthworms
  • Grass margins can contain up to 1000 insects per square meter that pollinate crops and reduce pests
  • Just one teaspoon of soil contains millions of organisms, such as fungi and bacteria that help feed plants.

Hundreds of farms around the UK will be opening their gates on Sunday, 12th June -- offering the public a great way to discover more about farmers, the countryside and how our food is produced. Last year, 184,000 visitors took the chance to visit one of the participating farms.

LEAF's, Open Farm Sunday allows people to learn about life on Britain's farms, helping to answer questions like: Where your food really comes from? What technology is used on a modern farm? How many insects and birds there are on a farm? How do farmers play a vital role in caring for the countryside?

Families will get the chance to go on tractor and trailer rides, on farm walks and nature trails, and discover how worms are a farmer's best friend and may get the chance to see sheep being sheared, cows being milked or chicks hatching!

To find out which farms in your area are taking part visit www.farmsunday.org. For up-to-date information you can also follow on Twitter -- twitter.com/openfarmsunday