Kate and Lindsay Arthur invited a family from the city, John and Sue Hardman and their three children, to join them for a day to show how farm life compares to the hustle and bustle of city living.

The experience, Kate said, has forever changed both families for the better.

“We didn’t know what to expect but the family that stayed with us was matched to us so our kids were roughly the same age, and everyone got on so well,” she said.

“We were sowing at the time they stayed here so they had plenty of activities to get involved in and have a real hands-on experience.

“It makes more sense to people when they can see farm life for themselves.”

The two families got along so well that the Arthurs have just returned

from a trip to Sydney where they were able to catch up with the Hardmans again.

“We kept in touch with them after they’d left and we both feel that we’ve got a lasting friendship from the

experience,” Kate said.

“It took enormous effort on their part to come all the way from Sydney to spend a day on our farm and we thoroughly enjoyed their company.”

Having lived in regional NSW for most of her life, Kate said the experience also opened her eyes to what her city counterparts’ lives were like.

“It wasn’t about us trying to educate them.

“We learned a lot about their lives as well.”

While Kate and her family are unable to take part in Farm Day this year, she said they’ll definitely be signing up for it again.

“Farm Day is a fantastic initiative and we wanted to help any way we could to help families from the city understand the workings of a farm.”

“It was a wonderful experience and I really would recommend it to everyone.”