Country: Greece
Wellbeing of Farmers: Mental Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing
Key Challenges: Low farm income (market vulnerability), Lack of attractiveness of certain farming profession, Lack of appreciation/support for female farmers, Lack of generational renewal on farm, Pressure from society/negative perceptions
Key Target Groups: Young farmers, Female farmers
Farm Size: Medium, Small/ family
Find Out More
Key contact: Panagiotis Papadopoulos
Email: panagiotis@openfarm.gr
Organization: Med Culture PC
Relevant Links:
Summary
“Open Farm Days” is one of the activites of the network of Οpen Farms and farm enterprises throughout Greece that bridges the gap between the rural and the urban. It seeks to make people aware of the origins of their food but also to empower the farmer’s profession by promoting sustainable agritourism, local products and typical local agri-food products.
Through the open farms people talk about farm life, the importance of being a farmer is advocated alongside with the difficulties and the merits.
Objective
The open farm project aims at giving the opportunity to small farmers and rural families to open their farms to the urbanite in order, on the one hand to raise sales at the gate but on the other hand to support their bonds with the society.
The concept of Alternative Food Networks (Short Supply Chains) and Agritourism is supported but also sustainability and pluriactivity. The overall objective is to advocate on the overall services that farmers are providing for society apart from quality (healthy) food production and in this sense support farmer’s identity.
Activities
- Visits on farm by organizing open days.
- Gate sales and on line sales of high quality (organic) local products.
- Educational workshops (especially focusing on children).
- Agrotourism and participation on farm task.
- Knowledge exchange through seminars (to both farmers and visitors).
- Common marketing activities.
Main Outcome of the activity
Showcase the role farmers play in society.
During “open farm days 2021” more than 1.500 people participated to 90 events in 60 farms.
For the farmers: additional income, marketing of produce, collaboration, less anxiety, strengthening of their identity, creation of a wider knowledge network, ethical prices.
For visitors: meeting with farmers & food producers, understanding where their food comes from and adopt a healthy living.
Main Practical Recommendations
This network and the “open farm days” serve as social innovation and set an excellent example.
Practitioners might use the tools, methodology and results from hands on experience. How farms are selected, how farm days are organized, how common marketing actions are taken and what is the role of an innovation broker in all the above.
Key Stakeholders Involved
Farmers and farming families (family-owned, small or medium-sized) and overall rural communities
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Consumers/urban dwellers
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Medculture company is the broker of this innovation.
Most Innovative Aspects of the Solution
This is a new institution that builds on networking and collaboration with the aim of creating a community of small and medium farms that apart from food producers are offering services that are connected to the wellbeing of visitors and also give the opportunity to farmers to achive social wellbeing by exchanging with the urbanite and by achieving a fair income though diversification