Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh celebrates Open Farm Sunday milestone

©️PHOTO: LEAF

To celebrate Open Farm Sunday’s 20^th anniversary, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)’s Honorary President, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh, visited host farmers at the Waitrose Farm, Leckford Estate, Hampshire and helped with preparations ahead of this year’s nationwide events on 7 June.

The event, hosted by LEAF and Waitrose, recognised the thousands of farmers, industry members and community volunteers who have made Open Farm Sunday one of British farming’s biggest public engagement success stories over the past two decades.

As farms across the UK get ready to welcome visitors this June, Her Royal Highness joined the team at Leckford Estate; helping set up a haybale maze and hanging welcome banners around the site for this year’s Open Farm Sunday.

During the visit, Her Royal Highness also met senior LEAF staff including Chairman, Philip Wynn and Chief Executive, David Webster; as well as Waitrose Managing Director, Tom Denyard; Director of Leckford Estate, Andrew Hoad and 20 Open Farm Sunday host farmers.

LEAF Chairman, Philip Wynn, expressed his thanks for Her Royal Highness’s commitment to promoting LEAF’s flagship initiative.

“We are incredibly grateful to The Duchess of Edinburgh for helping us show our appreciation for the farmers, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who make Open Farm Sunday possible.

“For 20 years, the industry’s annual open day has helped bring people closer to farming, food production and the countryside. It is the dedication of host farmers across the UK who welcome their communities and share their stories that has made it such a trusted and much-loved national event.

“Her Royal Highness is an ardent advocate for sustainable food production, rural communities and educating young people about the countryside and careers within it. We’re thrilled to have The Duchess’s continued support as Honorary President.”

Her Royal Highness joined the LEAF and Waitrose’s Leckford teams and guest farmers by taking part in a series of hands-on Open Farm Sunday activities, from building bug hotels and worm charming to sweep netting through wildflower meadows to discover the insects and pollinators that play a vital role in food production. Guests also spent time learning new ways of showcasing the fun, engaging and meaningful ways farmers can connect visitors of all ages with food, farming and the environment.

Tom Denyard, Waitrose Managing Director comments: “We were delighted to host Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh at the Waitrose farm, to mark the 20th anniversary of Open Farm Sunday.

“It was a great occasion to pay tribute to the thousands of people in farming communities whose hard work makes Open Farm Sunday the tremendous success it is today.  We know from the years of hosting Open Farm Sunday on our very own farm, that it provides a fantastic opportunity for the public to learn more about the vital role that farming plays in their communities.”

Other highlights included the presentation of a special award to East Anglian farmer Michael Sly in recognition of his unwavering support of Open Farm Sunday. He has hosted events every year since its inception, growing visitor numbers from just 12 in the first year to more than 12,000 in 2025. An increase that reflects the remarkable growth in the public’s interest to connect with farming and food production over the past two decades.

Since launching in 2006, Open Farm Sunday has given over 3.5 million people the opportunity to visit working farms, meet the people who produce their food and learn more about the vital role farming plays in the environment, the economy and rural communities.

Visit the Open Farm Sunday website to find an event in your local area on 7 June.