I run a vegan fruit farm in East Durham and we're opening the doors for you to come and take a look

From jams made from apples and gooseberries grown on site to compost toilets and off-grid tipis with no running water or electricity, Dalton Moor Farm’s 24 acres in Murton are truly self-reliant.

Jenny Connor has lived in the land’s 400-year-old farm house since 1992 and in 2011 bought the land around it.

At the time she juggled the farm with her career as a radiologist but after 40 years in the NHS, 27 years of those spent at Sunderland Royal Hospital, she decided to retire and focus fully on the farm in 2019.

Now, the farm is opening its doors to visitors as part of a national annual open day.

June 8 is Open Farm Sunday – an event where farms around the country welcome visitors so they can see at first hand the work being done by farmers across the UK.

As part of the event, visitors will be able to see the work being carried out at the site and discover how the award-winning farm combines ancient methods with future farming techniques.

Visitors will be able to talk to owner Dr Jenny Connor and her team and find out about veganic farming and the work carried out at Dalton Moor Farm , as well as their commitment to the environment.

Anyone attending will get the opportunity to tour the farm and learn about each area, against a backdrop of birdsong, buzzing bees and butterflies.

Guests can take part in a quiz and adults will also be able to try their hand at scything, as well as see the small tractors and the other machines used at the farm.

“We hope that everyone who comes along will leave with a greater understanding of farming, how growing food impacts the countryside and our health, and how we can all work together to safeguard the future of nature and ourselves,” said Jenny.

“We’ll explain what being a veganic farm means, how we work in harmony with nature to grow fruits, herbs and natural materials, how we have supported the return of wildness and wildlife on the farm, what we mean by sustainable farming, the products we make, the activities we host, the opportunities we provide, and our plans for the future, and how visitors can get involved.”

Visitors will also be able to buy products at Dalton Moor Farm’s small shop which sells products including the farm’s vegan “hunny” and apple juice produced in its orchards.

The event runs from 11am to 4pm and is free to attend. Open Farm Sunday is managed by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) – the charity that promotes and supports more sustainable farming to create a resilient food and farming system for future generations.

Annabel Shackleton, Open Farm Sunday Manager said: “Open Farm Sunday is a wonderful opportunity for visitors of all ages to get closer to farming and the people that make it happen. Each event is unique, each farm is different and every farmer too, but what they all share is a passion for farming, amazing expertise and a commitment to farming with nature and caring for the countryside.

“Some farms have been passed down through the generations, others are managed by those who have chosen farming as their career; each has its own special story to tell, and Open Farm Sunday is the ideal chance to come and hear it.”