Roger Leonard and Charles Shropshire, Hainey Farm

Farm managers, Roger Leonard and Charles Shropshire, are looking forward to showing visitors around Hainey Farm, Barway for LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday (12th June). Whilst Roger has been farming for 43 years and Charles is, at 25, at the start of his farming career, both are equally passionate about what they do and are relishing sharing this with the public and taking them on a real journey of discovery.

Hainey Farm is a LEAF (Linking Farming And Environment), Demonstration Farm and Roger and Charles are rightly proud of all that they do to protect and enhance the environment. This includes ways they manage water and the ongoing development of a new reedbed that, once established, will provide a valuable habitat for birds and insects.

Hainey Farm is the largest celery farm in the UK. It grows 21 million sticks of celery annually; accounting for 25% of the 75 million sticks we enjoy every year and also grows a range of different lettuce varieties including Iceberg and Little Gem as well as a range of other crops. Charles, who is responsible for the planting and growing of all that celery, will be explaining to visitors just what his job involves and showing them how he ensures that the celery has all the water it needs to grow. Celery is 90% water and during its growing period an average crop will need up to 6 inches of water! Open Farm Sunday offers visitors a unique chance to see the reservoirs that Shropshire's (the owners of Hainey Farm) have invested in and to learn more about how Charles and his colleagues work with the soil to make sure their plants receive the optimum amount of water.

Meanwhile, Estate Manager Roger will be able to tell visitors all about the conservation work being carried out on the farms, including the new reedbed. Reedbeds were once a vast habitat in the fens but, as drainage and landscape has changed, much of this habitat has been lost leaving few widely spread reedbed fragments. Roger will be explaining how Shropshire's are developing a new reedbed, which in time they hope will attract many birds including bitterns, lapwings and wildlife such as water voles.

Hainey Farm is one of hundreds of farms that are opening their gates for LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday on 12th June. The day offers everyone a fantastic day out for everyone and a unique opportunity to discover the story behind our food and to learn more about how farmers care for the countryside too. To find a farm open near you visit: www.farmsunday.org 

For more information visit www.farmsunday.org and for up-to-date campaign information, follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/openfarmsunday .

For further information please contact:

David Gough or Laura Bates
Open Farm Sunday Press Office   
T: 01189 475956 M : 07884 353 474  
E: david.gough@ceres-pr.co.uk / laura.bates@ceres-pr.co.uk