If you would like to take part in this year’s Open Farm Weekend Schools’ Competition with your child, here is everything you need to know.
Deadline for entries: Friday 27 March 2026
This year’s theme is “Grow it, know it, eat it!”, encouraging children to learn where our food comes from and how farming shapes life in Northern Ireland.
What the Competition Involves
Children create an artwork or design linked to farming and local food. The activity they complete depends on their age group:
Primary 1 & Primary 2
Children decorate the themed template and include foods that are produced in Northern Ireland.
Key Stage 1 – P3 & P4
Children design and decorate a farm shop front and explain which local products they would sell.
Key Stage 2 – P5, P6, P7
Children design a mascot based on NI farming or food (e.g., animals, crops, produce) and include:
- a slogan/tagline
- a 150–200 word explanation of their design
All templates are attached to this post or an be downloaded from the competition website.
Prizes
Prizes include:
- £200 for the winning school in each age category
- £40 for each winning pupil
- £100 for runner?up schools plus a Bramley apple tree
- £20 for runner?up pupils
- Planting sets for third place
- Certificates for highly commended entries
How to Enter
Entries can be submitted in two ways:
- Post the original artwork to:
BOIOFW Schools’ Competition
Ulster Farmers’ Union
475 Antrim Road
Belfast
BT15 3DA
(Please ensure the correct postage.)
- Email scanned copies
You may email scanned templates to lhawkes@ufuhq.com, although the organisers note that digital copies may reduce image quality.
Entries will not be returned, and children’s work may be shared on social media or displayed on farms during the event.
If you prefer your child’s name not to appear publicly, write their name on the back instead of the front.
