The Back British Farming message has reached even more children thanks to a £25,000 grant from the government-backed ‘opportunity area’ programme to help children learn all about food, farming and the countryside using NFU Education resources.
The NFU has worked with Learn by Design who successfully bid for funding to deliver the project to five of Derby’s inner city primary schools who will run a variety of the NFU’s Farmvention and Farming STEMterprise sessions.
To kick-start the project, 300 students from these schools have come together today to show their support for British farming and take part in a host of farming activities, from planting their own wheat to designing a tractor.
NFU President Minette Batters said: “The NFU’s Farmvention competition and Farming STEMterprise resources deliver so much more than a science or maths textbook; by bringing farming into the classroom children are reconnected with the countryside and rural life. The projects are great fun and not only do they cover crucial topics on the curriculum, but the children learn valuable life skills along the way.
“I am aware that many children will not have had the chance to see first-hand where their food comes from and that there are many schools which do not have the resources to enable this to happen. That is why we wanted to give children in these areas the opportunity to delve into the world of farming.
“By funding these activities we can open young eyes to opportunities that otherwise might have passed them by. If we spark children’s interest now and build their knowledge of food, farming and the countryside, we can open up endless possibilities for their future.”
About the project:
The funding has been allocated to run 13 sessions in each of the five schools. This includes five Farmvention sessions focussing on the Wool the Wonder fabric challenge and eight Farming STEMterprise sessions.
Activities at the launch today included:
- The NFU Discovery Barn and a tractor from local machinery dealership.
- A year on an arable farm, including planting wheat seeds in test tubes, flying drones and grinding their own wheat.
- A workshop investigating alternative energy production on farms.
- A Farm Machine 2040 session, including designing a farm machine and making the design into a keyring.
More information:
Find out more about the NFU’s Farmvention competition and Farming STEMterprise resources.
Learn by Design is a company which delivers STEM workshops and events to primary and secondary schools across the UK. They also run the NFU’s Discovery Barn and Discovery Pod.
Read more about Derby opportunity area and other opportunity areas.