Speaking in Brussels, Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “The initiative enables consumers especially the young to gain more familiarity with modern farming, farm schools, as well as see some good animal welfare practices and learn more about cooking and discover some healthy receipes. It brings consumers closer to nature and shows the benefit to society at large of farmers and farmers cooperatives in preserving the countryside and ensuring rural tourism and a wide diversity of quality food supplies. It enables children to learn where their food comes from and discover healthy eating habits”.
“To further promote this, Copa and Cogeca will launch a receipe book in May where healthy receipes from different countries in the EU can be found. We have also launched a photo competition open to the public to show the good livestock production practices that EU farmers and their cooperatives meet as part of our #livestockcounts campaign. Actions will take place every month. To visit a farm near you, please see our timetable below”, he stressed.
“All this is also possible thanks to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and that is why we are pressing for a strong CAP in the future, supported by an adequate budget”, he added.
Timetable for National Open Farm Days & Cooperative Open Days 2017/8:
1 -2 April 2017:Dutch glasshouse sector open days: www.komindekas.nl
30 April – 7 May 2017: Austrian week of agriculture www.lko.at
May 19 : Portuguese Days of Agriculture in Schools (CAP) www.cap.pt
May 20th 2017: Austrian Farm Open Days
May 26/June 5 2017: Dutch Dairy Farm Open Days www.campina.nl
May 15-20 2017: FNSEA French Farm Open Days: www.fnsea.fr
June 2-11 2017 : Third edition of Agricultural Cooperative Week in France open to the public: www.coopdefrance.coop
June 11 2017: Open Farm Sunday (England, Scotland & Wales): www.nfu.co.uk
June 17/18 2017: Farm Open Day, Northern Ireland: www.ufuni.org http://openfarmweekend.com/
June 24/5 2017: Wallonian Farm Open Day (FWA): www.fwa.be
July 23 2017: Estonian FarmOpenDay https://www.facebook.com/events/392063784478110/
September 17 2016: Farm open days in Flanders & Denmark (DAFC) are traditionally organized on the third Sunday of September & this year on the 17th of September: www.agricultureandfood.dk
June 2018: DBV German Farm Open Days: http://www.bauernverband.de
