IT was Open Farm Sunday last weekend, when farms all over the UK opened their gates to the public.

There were nature trails, history trails, guided tours, refreshments and, of course, farm animals to see. I visited Cools Farm near East Knoyle and was made very welcome by Quentin and Maggie Edwards and their friends and family.

They have a beautiful herd of rust-coloured Red Poll cattle which are reared organically. They also grow organic asparagus.

My husband and I walked round the trail which had been mapped out by the Edwards – the land is some of the most beautiful in England.

South-west Wiltshre Conservative MP Andrew Murrison dropped into Cools Farm during the morning. Dr Murrison supports the national initiative which aims to show people how their food is produced. He keeps rare breed pigs as a hobby and has spoken in the Commons on the linked issues of farm animal welfare and buying British.

It was a great morning, rounded off with a delicious lunch in the nearby Beckford Arms (see review in July’s Wiltshire Society).

Open Farm Sunday was also a huge success at River Bourne Community Farm in Laverstock, Salisbury, where they had more than 5,500 visitors, showing how interested the public is in farming and learning about how animals are reared and crops grown.

One cautious note sounded by Quentin Edwards was the outcome of the investigation into the E. coli outbreak at a farm in Surrey, when many visitors to the farm, both children and adults, contracted the bug. Mr Edwards is concerned that there may be over-reaction to the incident which could well lead to farm visits being curtailed, if not stopped altogether, through the cost of even more regulation making such visits unviable.

But Sunday was a good day, enjoyed by many thousands of people the length and breadth of the country.