Caithness farms set to open their gates to the public

Bilbster Mains farm manager Simon Harrison

TWO Caithness farm enterprises will be throwing open their gates for a day in June to offer a family-friendly insight into local food production.

Bilbster Mains, near Wick, and Caithness Summer Fruits, at Harpsdale, are taking part in Open Farm Sunday – an annual promotion organised by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) which seeks to strengthen the bond between the farming community and the wider public.

While the emphasis is on fun and enjoyment, there is a serious message underpinning the nationwide series of open days as they raise awareness of the agricultural industry’s commitment to high-quality local produce and environmentally friendly working practices.

Bilbster Mains will be participating for the first time. Danny Miller and his team have placed great emphasis on caring for the environment on the 1300-acre beef and cereals farm, with trees, hedges and species-rich grasses having been planted.

A nature trail will be one of the main attractions at the Bilbster event, which is scheduled for June 5 – one week earlier than the official Open Farm Sunday date of the 12th. There will be tractor-and-trailer tours of the calving field, milking demonstrations with Daisy the educational dairy cow and displays of cattle, sheep, pigs and ponies as well as farm machinery.

“We also plan a few other children’s activities,” farm manager Simon Harrison said. “We have a weigh crate, so you can weigh yourself or see how many of you it takes to weigh the same as a cow, and a guess-the-weight competition.”

The nature trail will take walkers down to a picturesque area where the Wick River runs through Bilbster Mains and where northern marsh orchids grow. “The Caithness countryside rangers are going to set up a treasure hunt and we’re going to lay out a nature walk which will probably be a two-mile walk, coming down from the farm and along the river,” Simon explained.

Simon will be hosting the Bilbster Mains open day along with Mr Miller, other farm workers and family members, and he sees it as an excellent chance to promote a greater understanding of farming amongst the public.

“It’s important for people to know where their food comes from,” Simon said. “It’s very easy just to pick up whatever it is in the supermarket and not know the methods that are used to produce it. When people come on the farm they’re going to see exactly how we produce food here – we’ll be telling that story on the day.

“I think it’s good for farming as a whole to try and be open and show what we do. We like the idea of people knowing what we’re doing, and that’s a good thing if you look at farming as a food industry.

“But for me and Danny we also like giving people a fun day out, and we’ve got a great place to do it.”

Caithness Summer Fruits is run by George and Trisha Sutherland, who are enjoying their 20th year in the fruit-growing business.

Visitors to their premises at Roadside Croft, Harpsdale, Halkirk, on June 12 will see how the couple grow strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, gooseberries and Worcesterberries. They have been making their own jams, marmalades and chutneys since 2003.

Their products are on sale in local shops and as far south as the Storehouse at Foulis Ferry, while the Sutherlands also have a market stall in Wick town centre every Saturday.

“We had an open day a couple of years ago and it was very successful, but this is our 20th year of growing soft fruits so it’s sort of an anniversary event,” Trisha said.

The business includes Caithness Peat and the couple also have 40 head of cattle. Open Farm Sunday will give the couple a chance to promote their new venture in selling compost, and visitors will be able to see how it is applied on a vegetable plot.

As well as getting an insight into all aspects of the fruit-growing process, those who go along will be able to see farm animals and a range of other attractions. Halkirk Young Farmers are organising competitions, while members of Harpsdale SWRI will be selling teas in aid of Thor House in Thurso.

Trisha explained: “People will be able to walk around our tunnels, a local farmer will have some lambs, Greystones Farm will be bringing pigs and there will be chicks and ducks which were a great hit with the kids last time. We’ll have things that can be done indoors as well as outdoors if the weather isn’t great.”

Bilbster Mains and Caithness Summer Fruits are among a dozen or so agricultural ventures across Scotland that have confirmed they will be taking part in Open Farm Sunday 2011. Others can register up until the week before, and the organising body LEAF is keen to encourage as many as possible to get involved.

Dave Roberts, chairman of LEAF Scotland, said: “Open Farm Sunday is a great way to explain your farming operations to your neighbours and other members of your community. You don’t necessarily have to organise a big event, and you can restrict it to the times that suit you.”

• Open Farm Sunday at Bilbster Mains takes place on June 5 from 11am-4pm. (Visitors are asked not to bring dogs.)
• Open Farm Sunday at Caithness Summer Fruits is scheduled for 11am to around 4pm on June 12.
• For more information on Open Farm Sunday, visit www.leafuk.org/ofs
• For a full report, see our Farming North supplement issued with this week’s John O’Groat Journal.