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Many Hats, One CAP 2018-2019

A year-long campaign that consisted of interactive communications initiatives and events across Ireland.

Introduction: Many Hats, One CAP

Agri Aware’s ‘Many Hats One CAP’ campaign consisted of a year-long programme of interactive communications initiatives and events across Ireland. The campaign included advertisements and a series of National Open Farm events to highlight the importance of the Common Agricultural Policy

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Agri Aware’s National Open Farm Day 2018

Agri Aware’s inaugural ‘National Open Farm Day’ took place on the May Bank Holiday, Monday, 7th May 2018.

Over 6,000 people trekked to the countryside and attended the four mixed enterprise farms in Cork, Mayo, Wicklow and Dublin.

The purpose of the national open farm day was to help educate consumers about where their food comes from and showcase all the daily tasks on a working Irish farm.

The Open Farm event involved farm walks, educational talks, sheep shearing and milking demonstrations, and cookery demonstrations will celebrity chefs – Edward Hayden, Sharon Hearne-Smith, Lily Higgins and Catherine Leyden.

Bloom in the Phoenix Park 2018

Agri Aware in conjunction with Bord Bia, hosted the Bloom Farmyard at the 2018 Bloom in the Phoenix Park. Over the course of two days, Thursday May 31st and Friday June 1st, we hosted over 900 primary students from 30 different schools across Ireland.

The students were given a tour of the farmyard where they learned about pigs, sheep, and cows. They even got to witness a sheep shearing and a dairy cow milking demonstration! After touring the Bloom Farmyard, Agri Aware team members brought the students into the 7-a-day fruit and vegetable polytunnel where they got to experience the Incredible Edibles garden and learned about healthy eating.

Over the course of the weekend, the Agri Aware team also presented on stage in the 7-a-day polytunnel, teaching the public about the requirements for seed germination – heat, air and water. Members of the public got to take home a seed necklace, which allowed them to try their own hand at germinating a seed and growing some beetroot in their own gardens!

Tullamore Livestock Show

Agri Aware’s Big Red Shed at the Tullamore Show was buzzing as celebrity chef Edward Hayden took the stage to kick off the day’s proceedings.

Agri Aware’s red shed at Tullamore Show is part of a significant campaign entitled ‘Many hats, one CAP’ being delivered by Agri Aware, the independent Irish agri-food educational body.

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The shed was filled with a veritable feast for the senses with MC Edward Hayden joined by a host of expert guests including renowned sheep shearer Godfrey Potterton hosting sheep shearing demos, Brian O’Toole, a beekeeper with Leinster Honey speaking to visitors about all things bees; Pat O’Neill of O’Neill’s Dry Cure Bacon for cookery demonstrations and famed butter maker Breda McDonald who taught visitors the art of traditional butter making.

The campaign co-financed by the European Commission aims to communicate the many benefits of the CAP to the general public and farmers, across Ireland.

The message to this audience is clear, that CAP delivers a secure supply of safe, quality and traceable food that is affordable for consumers. In addition to producing this food under the highest standards, CAP also ensures sustainable management of our natural resources, our waterways, promotes biodiversity and aids in the development of our rural areas.

Open Farm Weekends at the Family Farm in Dublin Zoo

Over the course of the summer months, Agri Aware has created several engaging CAP/farm related events aimed at the members of the general public. These events are inclusive of all ages of the public, however focused to young people in urban areas. These events are hosted on the Family Farm, developed by Agri Aware and Dublin Zoo. The Family Farm has over 1.1 million visitors annually and Dublin Zoo is ranked as one of the top (#2) tourist attractions in Ireland.

In 2018, Open Farm Weekends at the Family Farm, Dublin Zoo hosted 30 interactive events delivered from June to September 2018. With the help of external experts, Agri Aware delivered topics including Sheep Shearing, Weaving, Hurley Making, Butter Making, Beekeeping, Basket Weaving, Farm Technology, Women in Agriculture and many more!

National Ploughing Championships

Agri Aware brought the Big Red Shed back to the National Ploughing Championships this year. Over the course of three days, September 18th, 20th and 21st, Agri Aware hosted a number of panel discussions, cookery demos and other activities.

Celebrity Chef Edward Hayden cooked up a storm, completing two cooking demonstrations each day, allowing the audience to sample some of his delicious dishes.

We also had a number of panel discussions entitled 'Leaders in their Field', featuring various agriculture industry members. The panelists discussed their roles in their careers and shared the route they took to end up in their position.

President Michael D Higgins also made a surprise visit to the Big Red Shed and stopped for a few pictures!

National Cinema Advertisement

Agri Aware’s ‘Many Hats One CAP’ cinema advert showcased the role the Common Agricultural Policy plays in everyday life in Ireland. The advert follows a day in the life of a number of characters who make up the rural landscape in Ireland.

​It features four major characters which include:

  • Dr. Dayle Johnston, an Offaly native working in Teagasc Grange making waves in calf health research;
  • Rural entrepreneur, culinary lecturer and chef Edward Hayden cooking up a storm in his Graiguenamanagh cookery school;
  • Dr. Marijke Beltman a vet based in UCD’s Veterinary hospital talking through her work on UCD Lyon’s Estate;
  • and farmer Kevin Moran up before dawn in Galway to milk his dairy herd.

This advert gave millions of viewers across Ireland, many of who have no experience of farming or the agri-food sector a glimpse into the role the industry plays in everyday life in Ireland.

This campaign kicked off on March 25th 2019 in cinemas and was followed by an outdoor and TV campaign.

Photo Gallery

A small selection of photos from our year-long events and campaigns, Many Hats, One Cap 2018-2019.