Andrew Thompson volunteers as an NFU Farmers for Schools Ambassador, a role which has seen him deliver back-to-back lessons speaking to more than 2,000 schoolchildren about British food and farming during the past few months.
Mr Thompson is an arable farmer in Wingate who has also diversified into green waste composting, processing up to 40,000 tonnes of garden waste each year, turning it into nutrient rich compost that is used as fertiliser both on his own farm and by others across County Durham.
He said: “I really enjoy going into schools, talking about what I do, and the children are often very engaged and interested, asking all sorts of questions.
“I think it’s really important that children understand where their food comes from, that it doesn’t just come from the supermarket, and to have a bit of an understanding about what farmers do. They are the consumers of the future.
“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it myself. When I see the children so interested in farming it makes me come away feeling inspired and reminds me that farmers across the country do great work feeding the nation and looking after the environment.”
Inspiring farmers of the future
Mr Thompson hopes his talks will help to inspire farmers of the future and support the NFU Education’s work in promoting careers in farming to young people.
Over the past year, the ‘Farmers for Schools’ programme has more than doubled in reach. In the 2024/25 academic year alone, the programme has connected with over 30,000 pupils.
Mr Thompson said: “I think the NFU Education team does a fantastic job. They come up with so many great ideas about how to teach people about food and farming in a fun and engaging way.
“I would highly recommend becoming a Farmers for Schools Ambassador to anyone thinking about getting involved – it’s such a rewarding experience and it feels great to be doing my bit.”
