THIS Sunday is Open Farm Sunday, when anyone interested in food, farming or the countryside can visit a local farm to meet the farmers who grow their food and to see how they care for the countryside.

It could include a tractor and trailer ride, an opportunity to see sheep being sheared, cows being milked or chickens hatching and there will be plenty farm walks and nature trails.

Visitors can take a picnic and make a day of it. Below are some of the farms which will be open in our area:

Barford Farm, Sturminster Marshall (01258 857969)

Cherry Lodge Farm Shrewton (01980 620486), from 10.30am

Cools Farm near East Knoyle (01747 830720), 11am-5pm

Honeybrook Farm, Wimborne (01202 881120), 10am-4pm

Pound Farm, Cranborne (01725 517310), 11am-3pm

River Bourne Community Farm in Cow Lane, Laverstock, Salisbury (01722 330667), 10am-4pm.

Tom Allen-Stevens, manager of Open Farm Sunday, said: “Last year’s event was a fantastic success, with 425 farms across the UK opening their gates to around 140,000 visitors and we are hoping that 2010 will be even better.”

Visitors are asked to telephone farms beforehand, to give them an idea of how many people to cater for.

For further information visit farmsunday.org