LMC cookery demonstrations to take place during Open Farm Weekend

THIS weekend a number of farms across Northern Ireland will open their gates and invite members of the public in to experience what life is like on a real working farm.

Through its sponsorship of Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend, the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) is encouraging members of the public to purchase, cook and enjoy Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb. The Commission will run cookery demonstrations at two NIFQA farms, namely, Beattie’s Glenpark Farm, Omagh and Laurel View Farm, Templepatrick. Visitors will be invited to sample the freshly prepared dishes at the end of each demonstration.

Commenting LMC chief executive, Colin Smith said, “LMC is a longstanding partner of this initiative which over the years has become a popular event within the agri calendar. We are supportive of Open Farm Weekend’s aim of helping the public, particularly those from a non-farming background, better understand how our food is produced and to raise awareness of the importance of the local supply chain.

“As the beef and lamb industry’s promotional body LMC is dedicated to increasing consumer awareness about the provenance, traceability and sustainability of NIFQA beef and lamb. Our farming community in Northern Ireland consists largely of small family farms, with over 11,500 farms participating in the FQAS. Our farmers make an immense contribution to the production of wholesome, local food which we all enjoy. Open Farm Weekend enables the public, including those not from a farming background, to experience first hand the dedication and passion of these farmers who work to produce our food, while they also actively care for the environment.”

To provide further insight into the farm to fork journey of NIFQA beef and lamb, LMC will deliver several live cookery demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. Schools will be able to avail of a virtual LMC cookery demonstration on Friday 14 June, with a fun and interactive recipe which pupils can make at home.

Colin continued, “We are pleased to once again provide cookery demonstrations, which emphasis the farm to fork journey of NIFQA beef and lamb. So, aside from the tasty food offering, our demonstrators will also share insight into the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme, and the health benefits of incorporating beef and lamb into healthy balanced diets.”

Open Farm Weekend will take place on Friday 14 June for schools and Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June for members of the public, with LMC encouraging people from all walks of life to engage with this worthwhile free event. To view a full list of participating farms visit www.openfarmweekend.com.