Children from Symondsbury Church of England VA Primary School’s gardening club took their green fingers to the kitchen during a visit to the Discover Farming classroom at Washingpool Farm.
The day was run and supported by the Melplash Agricultural Society’s Discover Farming project, an initiative that was established to encourage young people to understand the journey food takes from field to fork and to learn more about different aspects of farming and food production.
During the morning the youngsters, under the supervision and instruction of the Discover Farming Co-ordinator, Katie Vining, spent time out on the farm harvesting leeks and learning about local and seasonal vegetable production. They then moved to the outdoor kitchen where they worked together to cook soup for lunch. The afternoon saw them exploring the farm further and feeding the animals.
The day formed an important part of Discover Farming’s work to encourage children to understand how important farming is in bringing food to the table, and provided a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn some new ideas that they could take back with them to their school garden and vegetable patch.
'Outdoor exploration, gardening and environmental understanding are all parts of Symondsbury School’s ethos, and the gardening club is one of the school’s most popular activities' said headteacher, Emma Roberts 'The visit to Discover Farming has proved to be inspirational for the children. Many thanks to the Discover Farming team for their hard work in making the day such a fun, educational and memorable experience for them all'.
Discover Farming is an educational project run by the Melplash Agricultural Society. The Society believes passionately that it is vitally important for the next generation to understand the role that farming and agriculture play in the local economy and environment. At a time of great technological change, the Society wishes to inspire the younger generation to take up careers in this exciting industry, not only in farming but also other rural industries.
The Discover Farming Classroom was set up at Washingpool Farm, Bridport DT6 and is the base where local schools can bring children for a day of hands-on education. Each visit is tailored to meet the individual school’s requirements. For more information visit www.discoverfarming.co.uk
