The host farms included 11 pig  producers, who explained how modern pig production functions in practice.  

The objective of the scheme is to provide a first-hand insight into a professional farm, including its livestock housing, feeding practices and technologies, attitudes to animal welfare and even the chance to see a finisher being weighed. Visitors were also given the opportunity to meet employees and producers who explained what their work involved and what it is like to work in the farming industry.

The feedback was positive: The visitors were curious and showed great interest in both the animals and the technology while the producers agreed that the chance to dialogue with the public created greater understanding of pig production in general.   

Kasper Henricksen, farm manager at Overgaard Farm said:      
”We were simply bowled over by the positive feedback we got from the visitors after Open Farm Day. Many of them didn’t think it possible to see pigs in their housing units. Many were also surprised to see how calm the pigs were. It dispelled some pre-conceptions, which is why it’s so important to open up our farms.”  

Since the initiative began in 1995, Open Farm Day in Denmark has attracted between 60,000-100,000 visitors per year – and this year was no exception. The event once again helped to improve understanding of modern food production and the requirements for accountability and transparency across sectors, including pig production.