AFTER the e-coli outbreak in Germany, we are more wary about how our food is produced and prepared. But do you know where your food really comes from, or how many jobs a farmer does every day?

Well, tomorrow you can find out when Manor Farm, at Kelfield, holds an open farm day. Farmer Richard Bramley says the event offers a great opportunity to discover more about the story behind your food and the timing could hardly be better.

The event is being organised nationally by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), a registered charity that helps farmers and producers, to manage their farms as efficiently and sustainably as possible.

More than 450 farms will take part across the country, from Cornwall to Northumberland, and at Manor Farm, Richard will be leading walks around the 550-acre arable holding and explaining the work he does to not only produce the crops but care for the countryside and environment as well Over the past two years, Richard has been participating in the Environmental Stewardship Scheme, which has resulted in a 20 per cent increase in the number of species of birds on the farm and the RSPB will also be on hand on the day to explain more about all the birds and help identify them.

You can find out how natural plant and insect species are encouraged to thrive alongside crops, get a close-up look at farm animals, learn why the farm’s hedgerows and ditches are important habitats for wildlife, and discover how wild flower seed was vital for birds over the winter.

Then there are tractor and trailer rides, nature trails, and even lessons on why worms are a farmer’s best friend.

You might have the chance to see sheep being sheared, cows being milked or even chicks hatching.

At Manor Farm, Richard grows potatoes for Walkers Crisps, wheat for Hovis and Kingsmill and barley for beer and whisky.

Then there are more unusual crops, such as the flax and hemp Richard grows for a mattress company.

“Open Farm Sunday is the perfect opportunity to get out into the countryside and discover how much better a day in the open air can make you feel,” he says. “Even if the sun doesn’t shine, as little as two hours spent on a farm can benefit a person’s wellbeing and help them connect with nature.”

It’s also a great opportunity to experience real farming at first hand and meet one of Britain’s farmers. Perhaps then you’ll be a little less worried next time you go shopping.

• To find out more visit farmsunday.org or twitter.com/openfarmsunday

• For more information visit leafuk.org

Did you know?

• Biophilia is the word used to describe man’s love of nature.

• Eighty per cent of the UK population live in urban areas.

• Almost half of young adults (aged 16 – 24 years) have never visited a working farm.

• Farmers manage more than 75 per cent of the UK’s total land area.

Farmers go green...

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) was set up in 1991, by a group of key farming experts. The aim was to encourage other farmers in the UK to produce food with care for the environment and to improve public understanding of food and farming.

The idea came from German farmers who were changing the way they farmed the land to make it more environmentally friendly.

Nowadays, LEAF promotes environmentally responsible farming. It supports farmers to produce good food, with care and to high environmental standards, identified in-store by the LEAF Marque logo. It also builds public understanding and trust of food and farming in a number of ways, including Open Farm Sunday and visits to a national network of Demonstration Farms