24 Hours in Farming hit new heights this year as the farming industry tapped into the breadth of social media platforms to give the public a glimpse into farming life and showcase the dedication and passion which goes into producing food for the nation.
Previously the annual campaign has been predominantly Twitter-led, but this year's event saw unprecedented activity on Instagram and TikTok, prompting a whole new status for the popular initiative and, importantly, reaching new audiences.
Kicking off at 5am on Thursday, August 6 and running until 5am on August 7, thousands of farmers from across the UK took to their social media channels to show the nation what is involved during a typical day of their farming life, using #Farm24.
As well as social media being abuzz with informative posts which gave viewers a taste of everyday life on the farm, farmers used their technological know-how to produce educational videos on farming practises, with some taking part in live Q&As with the public.
Supported by Morrisons, a number of celebrities also took to their platforms to endorse the campaign and Farmers Guardian, which launched the annual event six years ago, welcomed support from Sara Cox, Nigel Owens, Tom Watson, Liz Earle and a personal message from the Prime Minister.
Mr Johnson said: "This #Farm24 I want to thank the fantastic British farmers who work round the clock to put food on our tables. During a global pandemic, they have continued to work tirelessly to feed the nation. The food and farming sector will always have my support."
"This #Farm24 I want to thank the fantastic British farmers who work round the clock to put food on our tables. During a global pandemic, they have continued to work tirelessly to feed the nation. The food and farming sector will always have my support." - PM @BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/oNpn1lm6Em
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) August 6, 2020
Coming from a farming family & always proud to promote UK's agricultural industry - if you want to understand food, then first you need to understand how hard it is to produce. Only then can you appreciate & respect food, with the people who produce it for us all. #Farm24 pic.twitter.com/swa8iydApg
— Phil Spencer (@PhilSpencerTV) August 7, 2020
Another glorious sunset this evening #Farm24 pic.twitter.com/aNCBKAQPhG
— George Palmer (@georgepalmer4) August 6, 2020
Ben Briggs, editor of Farmers Guardian, said: "The sheer scale and reach of 24 Hours in Farming is something which is always genuinely astonishing, with the farming community embracing #farm24 as their chance to show the world what they do.
"What was really striking about this year's #farm24 was the vibrancy, positivity and confidence of the messages from farmers about the job they do and the pride they take in the industry.
"With a wider audience receptive to farming messages and keen to understand more, being on the front foot is crucial when it comes to communicating what makes our industry tick.
"It was therefore heartening that so many people from non-agricultural and rural backgrounds were eager to learn more from the plethora of farming communicators who made this year's #farm24 such a resounding success."
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