In 2015, Íæż½ã½ã launched 24 Hours in Farming to showcase the realities of a whole day in farming.
Fast forward 10 years and the campaign has reached new heights, giving the industry a chance to tell its own story - more often than not, farmers' stories are told by those who do not necessarily understand, but last week's event on August 7 truly flung open the farm gates.
Farm to fork
For the first time ever, we had a chef ambassador; Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens was keen to promote the farm-to-plate journey, while also encouraging the public to get back into the kitchen to cook.
He said: "The journey starts from the ground up. We must collectively, as a nation, be more supportive of our British farmers, be more understanding and conscious of the monumental effort that goes into producing locally grown food."
This year's event also came at a time when agriculture needed positivity, and #farm24 did just that, trending on X for most of the day and reaching 181 million people, a record number of people over the last few years.
Key farming organisations such as the NFU, CLA and Defra also took part, while farmers on the ground flooded social media platforms with pictures and videos, with many championing that 24 Hours in Farming is one of the most important events of the year.
Íæż½ã½ã digital editor Emily Ashworth said: "The industry needed a boost and 24 Hours in Farming certainly did that this year.
"The atmosphere on social media, both on the day and during the run-up, was one of positivity, and the amount of people who took part shows just how needed connection and communication with the general public is.
"#farm24 was a true celebration of agriculture and we should now keep the momentum going."
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BBC
This year the BBC once again ran Farmwatch alongside 24 Hours in Farming to push farming's message further.
#farm24 ambassador Rebecca Wilson spoke about the campaign on BBC News, and fellow ambassador and Great British Bake Off star Mike Wilkins guest-hosted a BBC Radio 2 programme throughout the day.
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The campaign also got multiple shoutouts on Radio 1's breakfast show with Dean McCulloch and Radio 2's Vernon Kay, former host of FG's British Farming Awards.
FG journalists were also featured on the page throughout the day.
Praise for #farm24
- Wigfield Farm: "It's such an amazing campaign to be involved in! All of our farm team work tirelessly all year making sure our animals are thriving as well as supporting the next generation of farmers as part of their studies with Barnsley College."
- YANA: "We loved all the pictures. So fabulous to see the farming community come together like this. Really well done."
- Base UK: "We loved yesterday's #farm24 – it's so great to see so many people within the industry get on-board and celebrate!"
- Mungoswells Malt and Milling: "Supporting British farmers is vital for local jobs, long-term sustainability and genuine food security. If we want fresh, local food on our table, we need to support the people who make it possible."
Podcast
Listen to ambassador and FG In Your Field writer Amy Wilkinson host the #farm24 podcast. She spoke about the difficulties her beef and arable farm is facing, how that impacts consumers and the need for events like 24 Hours in Farming.
