The Arun to Adur Farmers Group had their annual farm open day on Sunday at Lychpole Farm, Sompting. Nearly 800 people attended with many coming from nearby Worthing and Lancing which was particularly pleasing.
The tractor and trailer farm tours ran constantly throughout the day and demonstrated the fantastic work the host farmers, David and Caroline Harriot, have undertaken since taking the farm on in 2006. This includes reinstating 2 dewponds, planting 2300 metres of hedging, providing fallow plots for ground nesting birds, creating two permissive footpaths and managing the chalk grassland sites on their farm through sensitive cattle grazing, which is so vital to the future conservation of the South Downs landscape.
The day was summed up by one of the many farmers who helped out on the day who in response to someone saying how much they had enjoyed and got so much out of the farm tour, replied that he along with all the other farmers there had equally got so much out of the day talking to people explaining things and answering questions.