CUMBRIAN farmers are being urged to get behind the LEAF Open Farm Sunday's two-day virtual event this weekend.

Featuring live interactive tours and demonstrations from farmers and chefs from around the UK on tomorrow and Sunday, organisers Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) are calling on farmers to get involved by sharing their own short film clips, photos and stories of food and farming across social media.

This builds on the success of the first virtual Online Farm Sunday held in June to mark the original date of farming’s annual open day and which attracted thousands of viewers.

Farmers can take part through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #LOFS20. The focus on Saturday 19th is nutritious food, seasonal recipes and cookery demonstrations. On Sunday 20th farmers across Britain are invited to virtually open their farm gates and show the public how their food is produced and the amazing work they are doing to protect and enhance the wildlife and biodiversity on their farms.

Farmers will be encouraged to go live on Facebook, send in videos and share photographs about their wildlife and biodiversity highlights. Whether it is bee friendly crops, habitat banks or wildflower meadows to boost biodiversity, the day will be a virtual celebration of all that farmers do to protect and enhance the environment and the value of nature to people’s health and wellbeing.

Northumberland farmer, John Renner, and long-term LEAF Open Farm Sunday host farmer, said: "Having taken part in the June virtual event, we reached over ten thousand, which was incredibly rewarding and great to know so many people engaged with our farm story.