Last week, the NFU Education team hosted a Farmvention Taster Day at Lawns Park Primary School in Leeds. Sixty pupils from the school welcomed local MP Rachel Reeves into their classrooms during a special day of fun and practical food and farming workshops linked to our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) competition- Farmvention.
Rachel Reeves (MP for Leeds West and chair of the BEIS committee) attended the day and she told us:
“It’s so important that children understand where food comes from and how it gets onto our plate. Farmvention is all about explaining that process and talking about sustainable food and farming, while also highlighting the technology and skills harnessed by the farming industry. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit today, meeting so many keen and enthusiastic pupils who were really making the most of this learning opportunity.”
Headteacher, Mrs Rebecca Ford, said the day had been a real success: “Today there has been a real buzz in the school. Pupils have been excited, engaged and there have been lots of ‘wow’ moments. It is a great start to our work as a school on our entry for the Farmvention competition.”
Farmvention- when farming meets invention
The NFU’s Farmvention competition has been designed by the NFU’s education team in conjunction with NFU science and policy advisers to help teach primary school children where their food comes from through a range of engaging real-life problem-solving challenges. Entries will be judged based on four criteria: how well entrants have solved the problem, creativity & innovation, the environmental impact of the design and the benefits the design will have for farmers and food producers. The final will to take place at a House of Commons event during British Science Week next year.