Over 150 students have gained first-hand experience of farming as part of a new conference seeking to educate young people about food provenance.
Pupils took part in activities aligned to the curriculum including a tour around a dairy farm, which featured a robotic milking system, and a bakery workshop where they made their own breadsticks.
Around 15 local farmers and agri-linked businesses also attended the conference to ensure students could understand the wider impact of farming and scope of the industry.
The Secondary School Series – Farming Food for You event, organised by AHDB and LEAF Education, took place at Plumpton College, East Sussex, on 14 November.
Roz Reynolds, head of education at AHDB, said it was was 'fantastic' to see young people experiencing a farm, many for the first time.
‘’Much of our work focuses on supporting teachers with resources, so it’s been great to trial an interactive event focused on experiential learning for students themselves directly linked to the GCSE curriculum.”
The conference was part of education pilots AHDB has been running this year to inspire young people by improving their understanding of where food comes from.
Carl Edwards, director of education at LEAF, said the event had a goal of educating young people about the agri-food industry.
"[It highlighted] the many varied and exciting opportunities within the sector, and allowing them to engage first-hand with many local businesses involved.
“We’re delighted with how the conference went and are looking forward to seeing the impact following on from both pre and post event sessions with schools.’’
Last month, over 40 schoolchildren took part in a tailor-made lesson on food and farming at Number 10 as part of an initiative organised by the prime minister's wife.
The Year 5 and 6 pupils from Countess Gytha Primary School in Yeovil, Somerset, explored the world of agriculture as part of the ‘Lessons at 10’ series.
It follows the launch of a pilot project offering 20 farmers fully funded training and support to deliver 'memorable' on-farm experiences for pupils.
The pilot, by LEAF Education, aims to help give more children the opportunity to experience a working farm first-hand and better connect with where their food comes from.
