Tractors into Schools campaign is back!

Tractors into Schools 2017_42630

The third Tractors into Schools campaign, jointly organised by the NFU, Lincolnshire YFC and the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, will be trundling tractors into school playgrounds from 4 March to 8 March.

The high profile initiative aims to help children understand more about the county’s food and farming industry.

Speaking about the campaign, Rosie Crust, education and development officer for the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, said: “Having a tractor in school is a fantastic and memorable learning experience for children.

“Even though we live in an agricultural county, too many children have little or no understanding of what farmers do and what they produce.

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“This needs to be addressed and we’re hoping that by talking to a farmer and seeing a tractor up close, they’ll understand more about where their food comes from and how it gets from our fields to their plates.

“It’s also a great opportunity to talk about the varied jobs in the agri-food sector, encouraging them to join the industry in the future.”

The Tractors into Schools campaign in 2016 and 2017 was a great success, reaching 6,000 school children, with 176 farmers involved with the project.

And organisers are hoping that this year’s campaign will build on this success - we are aiming for 100 tractors to visit 100 schools.

Tractors into Schools, Lincs_33086

Katie Levitt, of Mablethorpe Primary Academy, said: "Tractors Into Schools is a fantastic hands on learning opportunity for children of all ages.

"It provided KS1 an exciting hook for writing and we were able to link the tractor visit into school with many areas of our curriculum.

"The children loved questioning the farmers about the use of the tractor and life on a working farm and give much better answers than I was able to. Overall a super, real life experience." 

NFU East Midlands regional director Gordon Corner said: “This exciting initiative gives farmers the opportunity to build a link with a local school, talk to children about their job and the role the tractor plays in bringing food to our tables.

“It’s also a great opportunity to share their story and educate our future generations on the importance of food and farming.

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Today’s tractors are wonders of engineering and although some may have seen a tractor in a field or perhaps at the Lincolnshire Show, not many children will have been able to sit in one and find out how tractors help us produce the food we eat every day.”

All over Lincolnshire, farmers and tractor dealers will be talking to their local schools in readiness for Tractors into Schools week.

Plans are being laid for lessons and activities to show off farming’s modern work-horses and how they help farmers on their farms, ploughing, sowing, cultivating, harvesting and hauling the grain, vegetables, potatoes, livestock feed and energy crops that are produced inLincolnshire.

From maths, English, science, geography, food technology, design and art, food and farming can be used to help children in hands-on learning activities, bringing their subjects to life in a fun, but safe way.

If you want to get involved in the scheme, email amFtZXMucGVja0BuZnUub3JnLnVr , a2F0ZS5rbmlnaHRAbGluY3N5ZmMub3JnLnVr or cmNydXN0QGxpbmNvbG5zaGlyZXNob3dncm91bmQuY28udWs= and make sure you use the hashtag #TractorsintoSchools19 on Twitter