Successful open farms day despite Gabrielle

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The recent Open Farms Day event achieved its highest visitor turnout last month, with 3680 Kiwis stepping foot on a farm.

Despite having the lowest number of hosts partly due to Cyclone Gabrielle, the event had a 35 percent lift in visitors compared to 2021.

“Feedback from visitors and hosts was positive — 93 percent said they would visit again next year and 87 percent of hosts said they would host again,” Open Farms founder Daniel Eb said.

One of the event’s aims is to bridge the gap between urban and rural New Zealand. By tracking perception change across the three events previously held, feedback showed a significant positive change in perception about farming.

“Visitors told us they feel more connected to farmers, feel more positive about the environmental sustainability of farming, think farming is more complicated than previously thought and are willing to pay more for sustainably grown food,” Mr Eb said.

Supporting this initiative since its inception, Beef + Lamb NZ was excited to see urban Kiwis interested in understanding NZ farming, chief executive Sam McIvor said.

“The fact that fewer farms had more visitors than ever proves there’s a growing desire for people to understand where their food comes from.”

The largest event took place at Wellington sheep and beef station, Mangaroa Farms, with 400 visitors.