A FARMING family on the Worcestershire/Herefordshire borders are inviting people to savour the sights and smells of a traditional hop farm during their annual open day.

Richard and Ali Capper will be swinging open their farm gates at Suckley to the public on Saturday September 12 at 2pm and welcoming them to enjoy a 90-minute to two hour walk through the hop yards and apple orchards.

The hop harvest will be in full swing so visitors can experience the incredibly visual picking process for themselves, while hearing about the different varieties of Hops grown at Stocks Farm.

And like top brewers visiting the farm, guests will be invited to ‘rub-and-sniff’ the hops to detect the subtle aroma notes found within each variety.

The family-friendly event offers the wider community a chance to see what goes on behind the farm gates. The Cappers held a similar day last year which attracted about 80 visitors.

Ali said: “It’s great to welcome so many interested people onto the farm for the Open Day. We’re very proud to grow British hops and apples and sharing that process with people is very exciting for us.”

The tour includes a visit to the Bruff hop-picking machine to see it in action and to view inside the kilns that are drying the day’s hop harvest.

While the apple harvest will not be underway visitors will see the trees packed with five varieties of cider and dessert apples grown on the farm.

During the walk, a variety of topics will be discussed, including the growing systems and structures in the orchard, pest and disease management and the economics of modern fruit and hop farming. After the walk, tea and cakes will be served in the garden for all visitors to enjoy.

The open day is free to attend with a charge for the refreshments.

Keen local home brewers will be able to collect their very own green hops on the day by prior arrangement. The trend for using un-dried hops in brewing is growing due to the exclusivity of fresh Hops - they must be put in the brew within 24 hours of being picked. The mystery of the as-yet-untested hops adds to the flavour of the beer.

The event will be free for children, with a paper donation received from each family. All profits from the event will go towards two local initiatives, The Suckley SPACE Project, which looks at ways to maintain and develop viability of the beautiful Suckley Church, and The Fledglings Nursery, a nursery school neighbouring Stocks Farm, which provides children with a happy and stimulating environment in which to learn.