Today we have a brilliant guest blog by Justine Hards from LEAF, getting to the heart of the importance of farm visits.
“What people do not understand, they do not value; what they do not value, they will not protect, and what they do not protect, they will lose.” — Charles Jordan
It seems our children are still rather confused about their food – where it comes from, what’s in it, who grows it and how. Earlier this week, we hear that almost a third of UK primary pupils think that cheese is made from plants and fish fingers come from chicken or pigs. Set against the context of the recently published ‘State of Nature’ report which highlights the fact that today’s children have less contact with nature than ever before, it is perhaps not too surprising that they are becoming increasingly disconnected from their food, how its produced and its connections with the nature around them.
Getting children inspired and motivated about how their food is grown, meeting and talking to the farmers who grow it, feeling enthralled about the countryside around them and all the wonderful variety of wildlife that live there is key.
This weekend around 350 farms all over the country open up for Open Farm Sunday and welcome thousands of children and their families to experience first-hand the realities of farming. For many, it will be their first time on a real working farm or even the countryside. For some it will be a life changing experience. Seeing sheep being shorn, learning how wheat turns into bread, stroking a pigs back, watching cows being milked and listening to different bird song, could be the inspiration needed to get a child to understand and value their food and where it comes from.
Farm visits provide a unique opportunity for us to discover how our food is grown, explore the countryside, discover its inhabitants and its agricultural importance. Visiting a farm is one of the most tangible ways to reconnect with our food and it can play a huge role in inspiring young people to make healthier food choices.
So let’s get our children excited and motivated about their food and how it’s grown. Let’s open their eyes to the sights, sounds and wonders of a real working farm. Let them learn, let them feel, listen and hear. What we teach them now will be part of their legacy. And ours too.
Open Farm Sunday takes place on the 9th June. Click here to find a farm new you.
Inspirational images courtesy of LEAF