The charity Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) are running a nationwide initiative throughout June 2018 to get children out onto farms and learning about where their food comes from. Open Farm School Days will see farms opening their gates to host educational visits for children for children to learn about how their food is grown, where it comes from and children will meet the farmers who grow it.
This initiative is beneficial for students of all ages. It provides a hands-on exciting experience for younger children, whilst offering a practical demonstration of career options for older students. Farm visits enable children to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence and can support many curriculum subjects from Geography, History, Design and Technology, English, Maths, Science and PSHE.
According to LEAF, a farm visit can:
- Provide a stimulating and versatile outdoor classroom;
- Support the curriculum with engaging activities before, during and after a visit;
- Contribute to developing children’s social and personal skills;
- Create interest and motivation that can be carried back to classroom activities;
- Help children understand where their food comes from;
- Teach children in a direct, hands-on way about may important topics including nutrition, animal welfare, sustainability and conservation;
- Allow for physical exercise;
- Increase children’s appreciation and understanding of the natural environment;
- Give children first-hand experience of farming and the countryside;
- Show children the importance of good husbandry;
- Introduce children to some of the issues around agriculture and rural affairs;
- Raise awareness of careers available in the countryside;
- Provide an opportunity for children to meet people from different backgrounds;
- Allow children to understand risk and how to manage it; and
- Provide teachers with an opportunity for professional development by gaining farming and countryside knowledge, and experience of outdoor education.
Participating farms will be listed on their dedicated website soon, or you can email LEAF via openfarmsunday@leaf.org for more information about the initiative.
