All about LEAF

Thursday 1 July 2010

Set up in 1991, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), supports farmers to produce good food, with care and to high environmental standards, identified in-store by the LEAF Marque logo.  They also build public understanding and trust of food and farming in a number of ways, including Open Farm Sunday and visits to a national network of Demonstration Farms.

What can we offer?

Information on key LEAF activities including;

• - The LEAF Marque
• - LEAF's Integrated Farm Management (IFM)
• - The LEAF Audit
• - Open Farm Sunday (13 June 2010)
• - The LEAF Green Box
• - Speak Out Initiative
• - Virtual Farm Walk
• - Let Nature Feed Your Senses

Visits to LEAF Demonstration Farms to spend a 'Day in the Life of a LEAF Farmer' - and find out first hand how your food is produced with environmental care

Interviews and feature opportunities with key LEAF spokespeople:

• - Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive of LEAF, she was awarded an MBE for Services to Agriculture in 2009 and has been leading LEAF since it was established in 1991
• - Jeremy Boxall, Commercial Manager of LEAF, has been working for LEAF for over 10 years. Jeremy manages the LEAF Marque scheme
• High resolution images of farms (home and abroad), beautiful British landscapes, LEAF hero farmers, animals large and small, and children down on the farm
• To find out more about the work of LEAF visit www.leafuk.org

 - Ends -

 For further information and images, to arrange an interview or to obtain industry comment:

Ailsa Jensen

LEAF Press Office

T: 01189 475 956

E: ailsa.jensen@ceres-pr.co.uk

 Editor's Notes:

• LEAF Marque is an assurance scheme based on LEAF farming principles. It is independently inspected and certified by third party certification bodies. Farms certified as LEAF Marque can use the LEAF Marque logo on all the produce they sell, direct to the consumer or to retail outlets
• LEAF's Integrated Farm Management (IFM) approach combines the best of traditional farming methods with modern technology, allowing farmers to manage their farms in an informed, professional and caring way.IFM encourages farmers to maintain the highest standards of food production with the minimum environmental impact
• Open Farm Sunday - taking place on 13 June 2010, Open Farm Sunday is a national flagship event when hundreds of farms open their gates to the general public. It is a great opportunity for visitors to see at first hand how farmers produce the food they eat and care for the countryside. For more information visit www.farmsunday.org
• Let Nature Feed Your Senses - LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) and the Sensory Trust are working together on a flagship project to connect disengaged groups and individuals with nature and the countryside, through food and farming. The project involves sensory rich visits to farms and nature reserves across England and is part of Natural England's Access to Nature programme, which is funded by The Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme

For more information on all LEAF's work and activities, visit www.leafuk.org