Our Annual Review. 2024
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming).
Our purpose is to promote the understanding & adoption of more sustainable farming practices, to help create a resilient food & farming system for future generations.
We connect farmers, innovators, and industry to understand best practice sustainable farm management and how it can be applied most effectively to each farm’s unique situation.
We build trust by providing assurance that growers are farming more sustainably through our independently audited LEAF Marque certification; from the health of their soils to how they engage with local communities.
We educate - our team of qualified educational specialists work with farmers, schools and citizens across the UK to bring sustainable farming to life, both in schools and on-farm.
From our Honorary President.
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh.
Farming is facing a time of immense change. LEAF’s work in developing, demonstrating and communicating about more sustainable farming is of vital importance and never more so for our young people. Engaging future generations about how their food is produced and where it comes from is critical, both to the future of the agricultural industry, as well as for health and wellbeing.
I was delighted to attend a panel discussion at this year’s Groundswell exploring young people’s perceptions of farming, how we can inspire them into the sector and their expectations of farmers as food producers. This built on a wider piece of research commissioned by LEAF Education and will inform the ongoing implementation of its outreach activities.
From our Chair.
As we begin a new year, it is a time to reflect on our achievements over the past 12 months and look to the future. The LEAF team continues to be proactive in supporting the 'agricultural transition’ as the farming industry meets the challenges of climate change, policy shifts, and global market fluctuations. Our priorities include improving our LEAF Marque data management platform for our growing membership in the UK and globally. Additionally, we aim to enhance the use of our extensive network of Demonstration Farms and Innovation Centres to boost practical knowledge exchange.
A key milestone for 2025 is researching and delivering impact evidence on innovative production approaches, supporting our core objective of developing more sustainable farming practices. I am thrilled about our partnership with HSBC to reward farmers on this journey, marking the start of an era where industry changes are properly recognised. Of course, LEAF has always been ambitious, striving to reduce the environmental impact of food production and today is no different. But the scale of what we now seek to achieve over the next few years requires investment in new structures, systems, and people. So we are developing a strategy that prioritises these actions to build a stronger global presence and improve member support.
Our educational outreach continues to grow, with an expanding team working with more young people in primary and secondary education and providing CEVAS training to enable farmers to facilitate highquality educational visits. Our flagship event, Open Farm Sunday, now in its 19th year, has welcomed over 3.25 million visitors, fostering public trust and engagement. In 2025, with the theme 'cultivating connections' and generous sponsor support, we aim to have 300 host farmers and over 200,000 visitors.
My heartfelt thanks go to the Trustee Board, the Executive, and the entire LEAF team for their insight, passion, and tenacity in continuing our visionary journey. Together, we are paving the way for a more sustainable and innovative future in farming and food production.
Philip Wynn OBE, LEAF Chair
From our CEO.
Reflecting on my first year at LEAF, I have had the privilege of meeting some of the most progressive and forward-thinking farmers in the UK and Europe –our Demonstration Farmers, LEAF Marque certified growers, LEAF members and partners. What unites them all is their conviction that good environmental management practices are integral to good farm business management practice.
As an organisation, LEAF was founded on the principle that it is only by grounding intervention on individual farms and in the context of working supply chains that we can effectively embed and accelerate change across the sector as a whole.
LEAF is now supporting a broad range of businesses on ambitious programmes that have the capacity to drive significant changes in management practices globally, at pace and scale. We work with most of the main food retailers in the UK as they adopt LEAF Marque certification to accelerate their own sustainability targets. Our standard is now implemented in over 40 countries with LEAF Marque uptake growing at 80% year on year thanks to the far sighted leadership and support we have received from the UK food retail sector and Tesco in particular.
Increasingly, the financial services sector is recognising the crucial role they have in supporting the transition to net zero. We were delighted to support the launch of the HSBC Sustainable Farming Pathway this year, through which the bank will offer preferential loan arrangement fees for LEAF Marque growers. We are firmly focused on working with our partners to develop innovative and practical solutions to support farmers, and hope that this pioneering new programme will act as a model for other financial service providers to work with assurance schemes like LEAF, to build the commercial case for farmers to engage with Integrated Farm Management practices.
Another important aspect to LEAF’s work is our capacity to work collaboratively with others across the supply chain and The Jordans Farm Partnership is an excellent example of what can be achieved when different organisations work together to achieve shared outcomes. Now in its 10th year, the Partnership built on Jordans cereals longstanding commitment to wildlife friendly farming, and brought together the businesses’ UK cereal growers, to work with LEAF and the Wildlife Trusts. Earlier this year, we had the great honour of hosting a visit for our Honorary President, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh to Jordans, to showcase the operation of the supply chain from farm to bowl. The day was an enormously positive celebration of our work and meant a huge amount to me personally, acknowledging the visionary environmental leadership of my former employers Bill and David Jordan, who founded Jordans in 1972 and first launched their own pioneering nature friendly farming programme forty years ago in 1985.
As we increasingly seek to engage with more growers and partners in different geographies, we will encounter new and different challenges. Our priority is to incorporate this diversity into our governance and management structures so that we engage more meaningfully with a wider range of partners and stakeholders. Doing so will make us a stronger and more effective organisation.
Huge thanks to everyone who has supported us this year. Our dedicated and talented LEAF staff who show amazing drive and determination to deliver our mission. Our incredible Board of Trustees and the LEAF Marque Advisory Committee for providing invaluable insights, expertise and guidance. We are also immensely grateful to our exceptional members, project partners and supporters. We owe a great deal of thanks to all of them for giving their considerable expertise and time; it is their extraordinary commitment to delivering more regenerative farming and food systems that helps us drive real change. Looking ahead, there is an urgent need for us to redouble our efforts, especially in the light of the profound ways in which climate change is affecting global farm management approaches. But I firmly believe that we are living through a period of energy, renewal and innovation. We will continue to build on our thirty-year heritage as conveners and connectors; knowing that the power to facilitate changes at scale lies not with us, but through our growers, members and many dedicated industry partners and supporters.
David Webster, LEAF Chief Executive
Our year in highlights.
FEB. MAR. JAN.
We announce our involvement in a major DEFRA on-farm trial and research project NUE-Leg, which aims to eliminate the dependence of UK grassland farming on applied nitrogen fertilisers.
Over 600 people attend our hybrid conference ‘Pathways to Sustainability – Scaling the Transition of Global Agriculture’ at BNP Paribas UK HQ, London.
The first round of our public consultation on the LEAF Marque Standard opens, with a second public consultation
APR.
The LEAF Caroline Drummond Scholarship for Innovation in Sustainability launches, building on the life, achievements and vision of our former CEO.
MAY.
We proudly share our involvement in Waitrose’s Farming for Nature programme, supporting eight satellite farmers on their regenerative farming journey.
JUN.
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Jordans Cereals for a ‘Farm to Bowl’ tour and drops into the LEAF stand at Groundswell.
Open Farm Sunday welcomes over 180,000 visitors to 241 events!
JUL.
We celebrate the final of our National Competition for Primary Schools, All for Farm & Food for All, with the winning schools receiving fully-funded experiential farm visits.
AUG. SEP.
The HSBC Sustainable Farming Pathway launches, providing discounted loan rates for LEAF Marque certified growers.
Warwick Crop Centre and Huntapac Produce Ltd join our Network of Innovation Centres and Demonstration Farms.
Our year in highlights.
OCT. NOV. DEC.
We dig deeper into soils and LEAF Marque on our LEAF stand at New Scientist Live. Bucksum are announced as the winner of the Caroline Drummond Award – Celebrating and Communicating Farming Excellence 2024.
Our ‘Becoming LEAF Marque’ online training launches, supporting growers across the globe on their journey to more sustainable farming. St. Nicholas CE First School become our first Silver Demonstration School in the West Midlands.
We welcomed sponsors, host farmers and key industry figures to the House of Lords where we launched the new three-year Open Farm Sunday strategy ‘Cultivating Connections’.
Bob Clark (left), one of our Journey to Net Zero farmers.
Our ever-growing LEAF Network.
Across the UK, the LEAF Network connects farmers, academics and industry to understand best practice sustainable farm management and how it can be applied most effectively to each farm’s situation.
To date we currently have:
41 LEAF Demonstration Farms.
19 LEAF Innovation Centres.
This year, we proudly welcomed two new LEAF Innovation Centres: Warwick Crop Centre.
A leader in the field of integrated pest and disease management, with applied research ranging across crop genetics, biopesticides, soil health and environmental management.
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Their pioneering research is addressing three major environmental and social challenges:
• creating and enhancing sustainable ecosystems
• reducing and preventing pollution
• mitigating and building resilience to environmental change.
We also launched a new LEAF Demonstration Farm:
Huntapac Produce Ltd.
A leading fresh produce business focused on using innovation and technology to achieve net-zero goals across its entire operation.
We were delighted to host an in-person launch event at Nonington Farms, who were first launched as a Demonstration Farm online in 2021. From exploring regenerative farming practices and milling their own flour, to learning more about how the farm is connecting with their local community - it was a truly inspiring day.
Nonington Farms LEAF Demonstration Farm launch event.
We welcome Huntapac Ltd. as a LEAF Demonstration Farm.
Our partnerships & projects.
We continue to build on our industry connections and technical understanding through our diverse UK and European projects. From unlocking the potential of cover crops with our SHOWCASE partners, exploring agroforestry systems, learning more about effective IPM strategies (IPMworks), supporting farmers on their journey to net zero, to discovering novel legume varieties and the power of pulses within the rotation- we are working with some of the most forward-thinking and innovative farmers and growers.
Following the progress of our Journey to Net Zero farmers, who continue to demonstrate their commitments to more nature-friendly farming practices. Their success stories are blueprints for others in the industry, proving that the path to a more sustainable, net-zero farming future is not only achievable but an essential move in the right direction.
Here are some of our project highlights:
Announcing our involvement in Waitrose’s ground-breaking Farming for Nature programme, supporting the roll out of regenerative farming practices across their entire supply chain.
Springfield Farm, South Africa.
Working with our project partners and LEAF farmers on an industry wide Defra-funded project
NUE-Leg, exploring the role of legumes in reducing the reliance of synthetic fertiliser on grass-based farming systems. The on-farm experimental plots are underway after their first grazing this season.
Discovering the benefits of diverse agroforestry systems with our eight farms involved in our Exploring Agroforestry project. We kicked off with a practical workshop held at LEAF Demonstration Farm, Overbury Enterprises, learning more about agroforestry design and mapping.
Diving into a sustainable water management workshop at Dyson Farming in Lincolnshire as part of our Beacons of Excellence water programme. Interesting insights into water quality improvement through effective land and river management practices.
Our continued collaboration as a partner in the Farmers Weekly Transition programme, sharing our expertise and experiences with farmers to help secure
David Webster, LEAF CEO, speaking at Farmers Weekly Transition Live.
Navigating the path to more sustainable farming.
Enabling and inspiring farmers to farm more sustainably through Integrated Farm Management, underpins all LEAF’s technical activities. We provide farmers with access to best practice, technical tools, and training to help them implement change and develop more climate resilient businesses.
Below are just some of the ways we have supported our members and wider industry this year:
• Delivered our first pop up ‘Tent Talks’ on our stand at Groundswell. The LEAF team along with guest speakers from the LEAF Network, spoke about important farm environmental topics and shared advice on how to support farmers on the transition to more sustainable farming.
• Updated our ‘Simple Steps’ series of practical guidance booklets on key IFM topics including water, soil, biodiversity, IPM and regenerative agriculture.
Dan Stevenson, LEAF IFM Manager, delivering one of our ‘Tent Talks’ at Groundswell.
• Launched our new ‘Becoming LEAF Marque’ online training course, supporting the global roll out and uptake of LEAF Marque.
• Offered ‘Speak Out’ training to a number of our LEAF project farmers and stakeholders, providing them with expert advice and techniques to become better communicators.
• Hosted a range of webinars and LEAF Surgeries focused on core farm environment themes including: monitoring and measuring biodiversity onfarm, building business resilience, sustainable water management strategies, crop health and protection, soils and more!
• Published two videos in partnership with Catchment Sensitive Farming looking at climate resilience and effective slurry management.
Whitriggs Farm, one of the farms involved in our Journey to Net Zero project.
Connecting & communicating from grassroots up.
We have attended and exhibited at a diverse range of events and conferences this year, connecting with our farmer members and stakeholders. We showcased our ‘carbon farming heroes’ at the Low Carbon Agriculture Show, exhibited at the first Farmers Weekly Transition Live event at Park Farm in Cambridge, talked about the future of cereals and technology at Arable Scotland.
We were delighted to share and celebrate our thirty-three-year heritage in sustainable farming at this year’s Groundswell. We were also privileged to host a session at ‘Speaker’s Corner’ around ‘How do we inspire the Next Generation of Sustainable Food Producers?’ with our Honorary President, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. We explored how young people perceive food production, how we can better connect them to the industry and how farmers can showcase the ground-breaking work they are doing to farm in harmony with nature.
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh at our session at Groundswell.
Professor Jacqueline McGlade delivering the Keynote at our 2024 conference.
Uniting the agri-food industry to address the climate crisis.
We were thrilled to welcome over six hundred people to our hybrid conference in London at the BNP Paribas UK Headquarters. We brought together over twenty speakers and panellists representing practical farming, academia, research, retail, the financial services, and a range of NGOs. Key themes of the day included scaling up the transition to more sustainable farming, and the drivers and incentives needed to support farmers in this, whilst taking a deep dive into soil and the role of livestock.
Jacqueline McGlade, Professor, Sustainable Development & Knowledge Systems, University College London and former UN Environment Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Downforce Technologies, outlined the scientific evidence around carbon measurement and capture within the context of a global farming system whilst highlighting the challenges around the alignment of reporting and data collection.
Thank you to our sponsors: Strutt & Parker, Oxbury Bank & Frontier.
We build trust.
Our growing global reach.
LEAF Marque is a powerful catalyst for change. Underpinned by the principles of Integrated Farm Management, it provides a whole farm framework to drive forward more sustainable land management practices. It empowers farmers all over the globe to adopt more regenerative approaches, by building healthier and more productive soils, delivering better air and water quality and enhancing biodiversity.
We are now working with most of the UK’s leading retailers who are using LEAF Marque certification to support their own sustainability goals. We particularly want to recognise the enormous transition to more regenerative farming that Tesco are helping us drive in committing to LEAF Marque across their global fresh produce supply chain.
With sustainability becoming increasingly important to consumers and the green agenda taking root, the willingness of the retail sector to embrace change and adapt to challenges signals a time of transformation and positive change. Together with the determination and commitment of their growers, we are making real and lasting differences to addressing the climate emergency and the sustainability of the world’s farming and food systems.
Farming for nature.
Our reach across other farming sectors continues to grow. We are immensely proud to be working with our longstanding retail partner, Waitrose, as part of their Farming for Nature programme. Over the next three years, we will be supporting 2,000 of their UK suppliers to transition to regenerative and low carbon farming, across different sectors, covering beef, dairy, pig, poultry, fresh produce and glasshouse.
We will be setting up eight satellite farms in the UK, which will include the Waitrose farm, Leckford Estate, which is already a LEAF Demonstration Farm. The aim is to produce best practice guidance which will be tested and shared more widely across Waitrose’s supply chains, making it easier for farmers to know what really works and the impact change could have.
“We believe it is only by grounding interventions at farm level, within the context of working farm businesses that we can effectively accelerate change at pace and scale. We are therefore delighted to be supporting our longstanding food retail partner Waitrose on Farming for Nature - a highly innovative and far-sighted project.”
- David Webster, LEAF Chief Executive.
2,000 Waitrose suppliers to be LEAF Marque certified by 2026.
7 farming sectors.
By 2035 all Waitrose’s UK farms to reach net zero.
8 satellite farms in the UK.
By 2050 entire Waitrose global supply chain to reach net zero.
5 LEAF guidebooks: on carbon, soil, water, biodiversity, IPM.
Enabling conditions for change.
Shifting to more regenerative production methods takes time and carries risk; many lack the financial support to transition. Farming is becoming an increasingly critical area for investment and innovation. Private finance has a powerful role to play in accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture, by actively scaling the information and access to green finance specifically tailored to farmers and food production.
In partnership with HSBC UK, we were delighted to launch the Sustainable Farming Pathway fees for LEAF Marque certified businesses, or those in the process of applying for certification. Investing in sustainable supply chains, with LEAF Marque at the core, presents huge opportunities for LEAF. We are determined to explore opportunities to work with the finance sector, putting innovative financing at the root of food supply chains to support climate resilience and biodiversity restoration.
“ Sustainability is high on the agenda for the UK’s agri-food sector, and the HSBC Sustainable Farming Pathway help many businesses in their transition journey.”
- Clare Mike, LEAF Director, Technical & Business Development.
Escalating our global farmer & grower support.
The path to more climate positive farming is not easy. It requires high levels of knowledge, confidence and insight to implement the key principles. LEAF’s extensive range of training and technical resources is geared at equipping farmers with the latest expertise and know-how around agroecological thinking. As we extend our reach across the world, our priorities are firmly set on ensuring our services are relevant to a globally diverse audience.
As part of this commitment, at the end of 2024, we launched a new online training course offering a self-paced, flexible learning environment covering the essentials of becoming LEAF Marque; including the certification process, the core principles of IFM, the LEAF Marque Standard, the audit process and the LEAF Sustainable Farming Review. Designed for producers, certification bodies and consultants, it will be available in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese.
2,000 LEAF members. Over 41 countries. 53% International 47% UK.
An evolving standard of excellence.
LEAF has always been a listening organisation. We work hard to understand and meet evolving expectations for more sustainable farming, whilst maintaining an assurance system that is also practical, accessible and science-based. Every few years, we periodically review and update our LEAF Marque Standard to ensure it remains relevant to stakeholders and represents widely agreed, global best practice.
During the year we revised the standard to improve the clarity of the requirements, reduce duplication, and improve the applicability of the requirements for a range of global farming contexts, including producer groups, rented land and protected cropping. We also conducted two public consultations providing all our stakeholders with the opportunity to have their say on the future direction of LEAF Marque. In addition, our series of interactive webinars offered more detailed insights into the proposed changes. They covered areas such as business planning, soil and substrate management, plant health, waste management, energy and landscape management. We are hugely grateful for the level of engagement in the consultation and are looking forward to publishing the revised Standard in spring 2025.
Building connections
We educate.
insight into food production, farming and the environment. Nurturing individuals that feel invested in how their food is bigger issues around climate change and biodiversity loss. Future generations that look,
26,521 young people worked with on farm and in school.
Our impact in pledges.
I pledge to...
“
1,497 teachers benefitting from LEAF Education Specialist knowledge & training on farm.
966,430 total benefitting from our delivery, training & resources.
“ “
Consider the food I consume and take more interest in nature.”
- KS2 student.
Tell my mum to be more aware of what food she needs to buy.”
- KS3 student.
Look for the LEAF logo and think more about my impacts on the climate and the improvements I can make.”
- KS4 student.
Our work with schools. “
Farming is a gateway for curriculum and exam specific linked learning opportunities for all ages. Hands on learning opportunities on farm have a huge impact on young people’s understanding of food production alongside environmental protection. By connecting teachers and students with farmers, out on farm and through direct training, we bring to life the relevance of farming throughout the curriculum and enrichment provision. This experience was essential for these students, allowing them to delve into different outdoor activities they might never have encountered otherwise. They also realised that many of their science subjects have direct connections to the agricultural and food industry, offering potential career paths they hadn't previously considered.”
- KS4 Teacher, Heartlands Academy.
All activities had a clear purpose, were accessible for all abilities, and inspired the children to explore the world of farming. The day was outstanding and as a school we couldn't fault it!”
- KS2 Teacher, Roseberry Primary School.
A student taking part in a hedgelaying workshop, at the final of our competition for secondary schools.
98.7%
100% of teachers would recommend LEAF Education to colleagues & educators. of teachers are more confident engaging young people in discussions linking food production, farming & the natural environment to the curriculum.
Developing more ‘Conscious Consumers’.
Over the last year, we have been working with schools, youth groups and community organisations across the West Midlands. Over 1,200 young people from diverse cultural backgrounds have visited a farm and/or participated in practical workshops looking at sustainable farming and food choices. Flavian Obiero (‘The Kenyan Pig Farmer’), connected with schools to talk about the cultural differences between farming in the UK and Kenya, and diversity in agriculture.
In recognition of our work, we attended the awards event for current grant holders of the WMCA (West Midlands Combined Authority) Community Environment Fund and Community Green Grants.
100% are now more interested in where their food comes from. Of primary pupils: 94% have greater knowledge of how farmers are looking after the environment.
97% have a better understanding of where their food comes from.
Of secondary pupils: 100% think individual food choices are important in the fight against climate change.
65% are inspired or interested in a career in the agri-food industry.
Our resources.
Our extensive range of resources support farmers and teachers in planning safe, curriculum related, and activity filled farm visits and classroom sessions.
8,819 downloads of resources.
This year we were delighted to work in partnership with the AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) to develop a suite of A-Level teacher and farmer resources for biology, geography, environmental science and business studies. Designed for use in school and on-farm, they provide real world contexts linked to students learning with case studies and activities, covering soil management, crop protection, animal husbandry and landscape management.
Raising aspirations.
Thanks to the support of the Royal Warrant Holders Association Charity Fund we have been able to run a long term project with 40 teenagers to raise their aspirations and confidence, give them the opportunity to shine in the agri-food industry and talk directly to industry professionals to explore the wide range of career options in the farming sector.
86% of students reported having a better understanding of sustainable food choices.
100%
Students visited a range of farming businesses, some of whom were LEAF Marque certified and saw first hand the principles of sustainable farming in practice, delivered through the Integrated Farm Management framework. They participated in a range of practical activities related to conservation and sustainability including tree planting, biodiversity enhancement and farmland bird identification. The project has had a profound impact on the students, with a significant number now considering careers in the land-based sector and many reporting improvements in their confidence and mental health. of students said their mental health improved from working and learning outside.
I pledge to share my knowledge with other people so that they can understand where our food comes from. And how our choices can make a big difference to the environment.
- KS3 student participating in the RWHA project.
Inspiring young minds.
‘All for Farm and Food for All’, our national primary school competition, gives KS2 pupils the chance to visit a farm to learn more about the journey of their food. This year, eight schools across England were selected as finalists and the overall winner, St Martins C of E Primary School in Sandwell, was rewarded with a farm visit for their students to deepen their understanding of the importance of more sustainable farming. Teachers reported that pupils taking part in the competition could confidently describe how farmers are improving biodiversity, caring for the environment and taking positive action to transition to more sustainable farming.
It has been an amazing opportunity for our students. They were already very passionate about the environment and sustainability, but this competition has given them an opportunity to dig deeper and take their knowledge to the next level.”
- Teacher St Martins C of E Primary School, winner of this year’s competition.
“ “
I would suggest coming to this farm and see how you can improve the world.”
- KS2 pupil, competition finalist.
Of the
313 pupils that visited a farm:
83% said they knew more about sustainable food choices.
100% believe everyone has a responsibility to make climate positive choices to help the planet.
Climate positive futures.
Now in its eighth year, our National Competition in Food, Farming and Natural Environment attracts secondary schools from across England and Wales. Teams from six schools competed in this year’s finalist’s residential weekend held at Myerscough College’s working farm in Lancashire. This year’s competition was framed around ‘building climate resilience into food production is essential for securing the future of agriculture’.
Students participated in a variety of farm related activities including hedge laying and egg grading, heard from guest speakers representing different sectors of the agricultural industry and took part in workshops covering soil and water management, genetics, business efficiency, crop trading and energy production. The teams also took part in a debate on climate resilience and delivered their conclusions at the end of the weekend.
Huge congratulations to all our finalists and to our overall winner Boston Spa Academy in Leeds.
Thank you to McDonald’s UK for supporting this year’s competition.
100% of teachers said they would apply for the competition again, & recommend to other schools.
“140 students attended curriculum linked semi-finalist farm visits.
Winning the competition has left our students absolutely buzzing. For one of our students this whole experience has boosted her confidence and cemented her desire to pursue a career in agriculture.”
- Teacher, Boston Spa Academy.
Our work with farmers.
722 farmers accessing accredited training & CPD
3,742 hours spent with farmers.
Training & tools.
We provide farmers with the tools, training and techniques to deliver impactful, curriculum linked farm visits and activities. Our resources, accredited training programmes and networking opportunities, help to build farmers confidence and ability to engage and inspire young minds. Over 700 farmers learnt how to host safe and curriculum-linked farm visits and how to communicate effectively with both teachers and students.
The demand in our training provision continues to increase. This year, across England, we delivered a programme of twenty-five CEVAS courses* (the Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme), as well as individual farmer support sessions and professional development events.
198 attended CEVAS courses.
169 became CEVAS accredited.
* 25 courses in total and 11 courses funded by Defra through FiPL (Farming in Protected Landscapes).
Through our partnership with AHBD, over thirty farmers have attended funded CEVAS courses and received ongoing support from LEAF’s education specialists. This has allowed the knowledge gained from the course to be applied to the specific settings and for farmers to develop their confidence in hosting farm visits.
“It really was the most productive, informative and enjoyable course I’ve done in a long time. Thank you!”
- New CEVAS farmer.
For me, CEVAS is all about being with other farmers who are equally passionate about teaching kids about farming.”
- Experienced CEVAS farmer.
“ “
I learnt so much about how to reach out to schools, what teachers want, how easy it is to link farming to the curriculum as we have so many resources to hand.”
- Experienced CEVAS farmer.
John Plumb, CEVAS farmer, delivering a farm visit.
Countryside Classroom.
Countryside Classroom is an education hub managed by LEAF Education, along with a partnership of 34 other organisations representing the very best in food, farming, and environment education. Collectively, we bring together the latest teaching resources, places to visit and people to ask to support teachers in delivering big issues such as how food is produced, the challenge of ensuring food security and how more sustainable farming and food production is helping to tackle the climate crisis. In addition, the partners upload latest information regarding careers and work experience opportunities in the industry and give inspiration and support to thousands of schools across the UK.
This year’s annual in-person meeting was held at the House of Lords, kindly hosted by Lord Curry of Kirkharle who was instrumental in setting up the education hub over nine years ago. The meeting was a chance to celebrate some key successes from the past year including:
1 million + impressions on social media.
350,000 website visitors.
19% increase in newsletter sign-ups.
68% increase in blog views.
Open Farm Sunday. Building insight, understanding & trust.
9th June 2024 marked the 18th anniversary of Open Farm Sunday and what a positive celebration of British farming it was! With over 180,000 people, from Jersey to Shetland, visiting a farm to learn more about the story of their food.
Since its inception in 2006, Open Farm Sunday has continued to be a powerful industry initiative to build trust and educate the public on the essential role of farmers as both food producers and custodians of the land. During this time our farming community has hosted over 6,000 farm events, welcoming 3.25 million visitors to experience firsthand the dedication and innovation that defines modern British farming. Every visit has provided a vital connection made between the public and the people who produce their food.
Overbury Farms.
Langmead Herbs.
225 farms across Britain opened their gates to demonstrate the industry’s commitment to biodiversity, nature recovery and delivering more sustainably produced food. There was a real media buzz around Open Farm Sunday with radio interviews about events broadcast over 45 radio stations, including a mention on Radio 2, MoneySavingExpert.com, The Mail Food Newsletter, Waitrose Weekend and My Weekly, as well as lots of regional and local coverage.
“In the face of unprecedented challenges - from climate change to supply chain pressures - the connections made on farm through Open Farm Sunday have never been more fundamental to building insight, understanding and trust in our farming systems.”
- Annabel Shackleton, Open Farm Sunday Manager, LEAF.
96% of visitors said that they have a greater appreciation of the work that farmers do.
95% of visitors said they now have a better understanding of what sustainably produced food means.
87% of visitors reported increased trust in British food & farming.
38% of visitors said it had inspired someone in their group to consider a career in farming.
Kingsplay Farming Company.
Cornhill Farm.
“
The enthusiasm and curiosity from visitors, both young and old, affirm the importance of these interactions in fostering a better understanding of farming and food production.”
- Michael Sly, 18-time host farmer from Park Farm, Thorney
Showcasing how farmers are farming with nature and connecting the public with the origins of their food has never been more vital. Recognising the hugely significant role of Open Farm Sunday, we launched a new compelling strategy that provides the public with a greater understanding, appreciation and value of what it means to produce food sustainably. As we look ahead to 2025, we will provide stronger and deeper connections between the public and the farming industry.
We are deeply grateful to Big Tent for all their support in developing our new campaign. Huge thanks also to all our wonderful host farmers, supporters and sponsors for collectively bringing thousands of people closer to farming. Open Farm Sunday 2025 will be back on the 8th June, when once again we will come together to share the rich story of farming, food and nature.
Brockhill Farm.
South Waterhayne.
To all our members, sponsors & patrons who have helped support our work during 2024 - our work as a charity wouldn’t be possible without you.
you. Our education patrons. Our OFS sponsors.
Our corporate partners.
Asplins PO
Thank you to all who have provided donations to LEAF.
ADM
AFN Network+ Stakeholder FlexFund
AHDB
Baron Davenport’s Charity
Chadacre Trust
COOP Foundation
Cumbria Community Foundation and the Westmorland Foundation
Doris Field Charitable Trust
FiPL Cannock Chase
FiPL Cornwall
FiPL Cranbourne Chase
FiPL Dorset AONB
FiPL High Weald
FiPL Howordian Hills
FiPL Lake District National Park
FiPL North Wessex
FiPL Peak Park
FiPL Shropshire Hills
FiPL South Devon
FiPL South Downs NPA
FiPL Wye Valley
Forestry Commission
Garfield Weston Foundation
Ian Askew Charitable Trust
John Coates Charitable Trust
McDonalds
Michael Cornish Charitable Trust
Mr & Mrs JA Pye’s Charitable Settlement
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
NFYFC
Nineveh Charitable Trust
Perry Foundation
Samworth Foundation
The late Thomas “Richard” Poynton for remembering LEAF in his will.
The Aurora Trust
The Broyst Foundation
The David Family Foundation
The Ernest Cook Trust
The Florence Turner Trust
The Ganton Furze Settlement
The Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust
The Hadrian Trust
The J Reginald Corah Foundation
The Linder Foundation
The Mary Robertson Trust
The Sir James Reckitt Charity
WE Dunn Charitable Trust
West Midlands Combined Authority
Community Environment Fund
William Dean Countryside and Educational Trust
Worshipful Company of Farmers
Ian Brown and the many other individuals who have donated during the year, including those supporting The LEAF Caroline Drummond Scholarship for Innovation in Sustainability.
EXPENDITURE ON:
RECONCILIATION
Who’s who at LEAF.
LEAF Board of Trustees.
, Dyson Farming (Chair)
, Supply Intelligence (Vice-Chair)
, G’s Group
, Overbury Farms
, Agris Group
, Seeds To Thrive
, Renner Farming
, Cranfield University
, Courteenhall Farms
, Farmacy PLC
LEAF Marque Board.
Agris Group (Chair)
LEAF Chief Executive
Haygrove
LEAF Chief Operating Officer
, LEAF Director, Technical &
Business Development
LEAF Marque Technical Advisory Committee.
Andrew Francis , Home Farm Nacton (Chair)
Libby Rowland , Certis Belchim (Vice-Chair)
Evi Arachoviti , Innovation for Agriculture
Paul Billings , Germinal
Jen Bromley , Vertical Future
Caitlin Burns , Environment Agency
Carl Edwards , LEAF
Robert Evans , NSF Certification
Ed Ford , Dyson Farming
Marie Keys , SAI Global
Conor Linstead , WWF
Will McManus , WRAP
Natalie McWilliam , DPS
Joe Revell , Blue Skies
Harriette Roberts , Sainsbury’s
Piers Sangan , Sangan Island Conservation
Lucy Tyler , Kingsplay Farming Company
Elle Vercoe-Gibson , Waitrose & Partners
LEAF Team.
Philip Adams , Education Manager
Teresa Andrews , Executive Assistant
Callum Bennett , Farming with Nature Project Manager
Jim Blumire , Bookkeeper
Matthew Bradley , Marketing & Communications Officer
Sophia Bradshaw , Technical Officer
Mollie Burns , Standards & Impacts Coordinator
Hope Chapman , Monitoring & Evaluations Officer
Julie Clark , Technical Admin Officer
Alexandra Davies , Standards Setting & Impacts Coordinator
Nathan Deacon , Membership & Finance Coordinator
Angela Demetriou , Monitoring & Evaluation Manager
Lisa Dunne , LEAF Education Specialist
Carl Edwards , Director, Education & Public Engagement
Faye Edwards , LEAF Education Specialist
Anna Fryer , LEAF Education Specialist
Lucy Hando , Marketing & Communications Officer
Justine Hards , Marketing & Communications Manager
Bobbie Harvey , LEAF Education Specialist
Jo Hatton , LEAF Education Specialist
Abbey Holman , Stan dards & Impacts Manager
Justine Hunt , Education Support Coordinator
Steve Jones , Chief Operating Officer
Ellie Knight , Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Elizabeth Lake , LEAF Education Specialist
Sarah MacAfee, Technical Officer
Jessica Madge , Education & Public Engagement Officer
Rachel Matthews , Standards Setting Officer
Vicki McLaughlin , LEAF Education Specialist
Clare Mike , Director, Technical & Business Development
Harriette Miller , Impacts Coordinator
Dan Mitchell , Technical Officer
Ronan Mulcahy , Training Manager
Julie Neale , LEAF Education Specialist
Katy Pallas , LEAF Education Specialist
Emily Pope , Network Development Manager
Victoria Prior , LEAF Marque Network & Partnerships Lead
Fiona Rust , Education Networks & Partnership Manager
Annabel Shackleton , Open Farm Sunday Manager
Phil Skentelbery , Assurance Manager
Dan Stevenson , IFM Manager
Kuljit Sumal , Finance Officer
Dawn Teverson , Knowledge Manager
Sherida Walker , Membership Manager
David Webster , Chief Exec u tive
Sam Wyman , LEAF Education Specialist
LEAF Demonstration Farmers.
Robert Addicott, Addicott Partners, Somerset
Rob Ball, Elveden Farms Ltd, Norfolk
Brian & Patrick Barker, E J Barker and Sons, Suffolk
Andy Bason, Newhouse Farm, Hampshire
Chris Baylis, Sir Richard Sutton Estates Ltd, Lincolnshire
Sandy Booth & Jackie Barr, New Forest Fruit Company, Hampshire
Nick & Claire Bragg, Frogmary Green Farm, Somerset
Hugh Broad, P N Broad and Son, East Lothian
Philip & Charlie Chamberlain, Crowmarsh Battle Farms Ltd, Oxfordshire
Nick Down, Yattendon Estate, Berkshire
Jeremy Durrant, E W Davies Farms
Duncan Farrington, Bottom Farm, Northamptonshire
David Felce, R C Felce and Son, Cambridgeshire
Andrew Ferguson & Andrew Hoad, Leckford Estate, Hampshire
Jake Freestone & Penelope Bossom, Overbury Enterprises, Gloucestershire
Simon Gardner, Varfell Farms, Cornwall
Keith Harris, Silton Manor Farming, Dorset
Paul Hayward, E Dunning and Son, East Yorkshire
Paul Kelly & Peter Wilderspin, Park Farm, University of Cambridge
Andrew Keyte, Ragley Hall Farm, Warwickshire
William Pitts, The Green House Sussex Ltd, West Sussex
Charlie Parker, JSR Farms Ltd, East Yorkshire
David Kennedy & Chris Savage, Morriston Farms, Ayrshire
Mark Knight, Tangmere Airfield Nurseries Ltd, West Sussex
Robert Kynaston, Great Wollaston, Shropshire
Craig Livingstone, Lockerley Estate
James & Emma Loder-Symonds, Nonington Farms
Chris Newenham & Andrey Ivanov, Wilkin and Sons Ltd, Essex
Jeremy & Sue Padfield, Church Farm, Somerset
Ian Pigott, J W Pigott and Son, Hertfordshire
Tim Pratt, Wantisden Hall Farms, Suffolk
John & Helen Renner, Renner Farming, Northumberland
Mike Renouard, The Jersey Royal Company, Jersey
Harriet Ross & Ben Lowe, HB Farms/Newseat of Dumbreck, Ayrshire
Stephen Shields, Huntapac Produce Ltd, Lancashire
Charles Shropshire & Stewart McIntyre, Cambs Farms Growers (G’s), Cambridgeshire
Robert Smith, Russell Smith Farms, Cambridgeshire
Anthony Snell, A.J & C.I Snell, Herefordshire
Matt Waldie, 4 Front Farming, Fife
Ian Waller, Hampden Bottom Farm Ltd, Buckinghamshire
Duncan Worth & Simon Day, Worth Farms
Keston Williams & Neil Cairnes, Barfoots of Botley, West Sussex
Sion Williams, Bowhill Farming Ltd, Scottish Borders
LEAF Innovation Centres.
Agrii Throws Farm Technology Centre, Essex
Bangor University, Gwynedd
Bayer Cropscience, Cambridgeshire
The Allerton Project, Leicestershire
Harper Adams University, Shropshire
Hartpury College and University, Gloucester
IBERS, Aberystwyth
James Hutton Institute, Perthshire
Newcastle University Farms, Northumberland
NIAB East Malling, Kent
Rothamsted Research Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Rothamsted Research North Wyke, Devon
Royal Agricultural University, Gloucestershire
SRUC - The Dairy Cattle Research and Innovation Centre, Midlothian
SRUC – The Hill & Mountain Research Centre, Perthshire
Stockbridge Technology Centre, Yorkshire
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Oxfordshire
University of Reading Centre for Dairy Research (CEDAR), Berkshire
Warwick Crop Centre, Warwickshire
LEAF Demonstration Schools.
GOLD STATUS:
Brockhill Performing Arts College, Kent
SILVER STATUS:
Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School, Warwickshire
St. Nicholas CE First School, West Midlands
BRONZE STATUS:
Alcester Grammar School, Warwickshire
Chilmark and Fonthill Bishop Primary School, Wiltshire
Cullercoates Primary School, Tyne & Wear
Eaton Valley Primary School, West Bromwich
Glascote Primary School, Staffordshire
John Hanson Secondary School, Hampshire
North Oxfordshire Academy, Oxfordshire
Norton Primary School, Gloucestershire
Sir Robert Gefferys School, Cornwall
St James CE Primary School, Manchester
St James Primary School, Lancashire
Staveley Community Primary School, Yorkshire
Thrussington Primary School, Leicestershire
Ullswater Community College, Cumbria
Washingborough Primary, Lincolnshire
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)
Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG
www.leaf.eco
Tel: +44 (0)2476 413911
Email: enquiries@leaf.eco
LEAF is a registered charity (no. 1045781)
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is a charity that promotes & supports more sustainable farming to help create a resilient food & farming system for future generations. We connect. We build trust. We educate.
