The NFU Lancashire Farming Ambassadors have launched The Great Lancashire Litter Hunt with the aim of clearing up 500 miles of the Red Rose countryside.
The NFU wants hundreds of farmers to pledge miles they are willing to clean up, and hopefully their volunteer litter picking efforts will also raise some donations for the North West Air Ambulance charity.
The effort is well underway with 43 miles pledged before the campaign was even launched. Farmers like Amy and Kerry Wilkinson of White Otter Farm in Halsall and Rebecca Fielding of Pulford Farm in Blackburn have already been cleaning up miles of countryside in fancy dress.
Get involved!
- To pledge your miles email bm9ydGgud2VzdEBuZnUub3JnLnVr
- Name your email Great Lancashire Litter Hunt
- Simply tell us your farm name and the amount of miles you promise to clean up
- We'll reply with some simple instructions on how to conduct your litter pick safely.
Why is litter a problem for farmers?
As takeaways, drive through restaurants and coffee shops get back to business as the lockdown eases, it appears the Litter Fairy has also come off furlough and is visiting the Lancashire countryside, sprinkling rubbish in fields, hedgerows and footpaths.
Watch Lisa Edwards and Amy Wilkinson on BBC North West Tonight
There are thousands of well meaning volunteers in the region's towns and cities who give up their free time to keep those spaces tidy, but our rural countryside (which is attracting more visitors now than ever) seems to get forgotten.
NFU Lancashire County Chairman Lisa Edwards said: "With the added option of conducting your litter pick in fancy dress, I really hope that as many farmers, growers and young farmers across the region will get involved, post photos of themselves on social media of their litter picking with the hashtag #greatlancslitterhunt and a link to the JustGiving page for donations.
"Not only will it help raise money for a fantastic cause but it will also clear up sections of the countryside which at the moment are a real eyesore and dangerous to livestock."
NFU Lancashire Farming Ambassador Rebecca Fielding added: "Flytipping and littering in the Blackburn area has increased by 65%. It's dangerous to livestock. Sharp objects can end up in the field within the long grass. If glass is cut up when the field is mowed for winter feed, it can be digested by the cows causing fatalities. Dog mess being left is also a major issue because a lot of people don't realise it causes abortions."
If you'd like to donate to the North West Air Ambulance Charity, please visit our JustGiving page or use the donate function below.