Lancashire Council Delegate John Alpe volunteers as an NFU Farmers for Schools Ambassador, a role which has seen him speak to more than 2,000 schoolchildren about British food and farming over the last three years.
He had the privilege of taking part in the ‘Lessons at 10’ event where he spoke to primary school pupils at 10 Downing Street.
Mr Alpe is an organic farmer and runs a small dairy herd of 45 milking cows alongside young dairy stock, beef cattle and a flock of 1,000 breeding sheep at Whitewell near Clitheroe.
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.”
Bringing food and farming into classrooms
Over the past year, more than half a million schoolchildren have taken part in NFU live lessons, while the ‘Farmers for Schools’ programme – where trained farmers and NFU staff visit schools to share their stories – has more than doubled in reach. In the 2024/25 academic year alone, the programme has connected with over 30,000 pupils, thanks to the dedication of nearly 400 trained volunteers bringing food and farming into classrooms across the country.
Mr Alpe 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.”
