Showing the next generation life on the farm: Bradford students visit farm to find out where our food comes from
25 May 2018
Enable2 CIC funded 12 farm trips for school children across the Bradford district which took place in November and December of 2017 and January of this year. 10 schools have benefited from this social return activity that saw 155 students attend Gazegill Organic Farm in Clitheroe. The trips were run by The Country Trust, a national charity that aims to educate children from inner city areas about the countryside.
We all know that when we turn on the TV today we are swamped with advertisements, many of these relating to food. Think “full moon, half moon, total eclipse” (a 90’s Jaffa cake ad for those who were wondering). But what’s worrying now are the increasing junk food adverts that seem to end up on our screens during every ad break. A report has found that watching television remains some children’s favourite activity. Furthermore, Cancer Research recently released research that found young people who watch seven “unhealthy” food promos a week eat an additional 18,000 calories a year. So, what if we replaced these adverts with clips that show the benefits of fresh organic fruit, vegetables and meat? Well, I guess we will never know, as food companies now spend around £143 million on adverts…we don’t think the local farmer down the road could quite keep up with that. Nevertheless, now more than ever, it is critical that young children are exposed to healthy foods and really understand the process through which these are brought to their tables. Enable2, with a platform to do so as a social enterprise, looks for projects that tackle the health issues of today and funds solutions to these, like these educational farm trips.
Children on the visit got the chance to; see how organic free-roaming animals live, how cows are milked, how vegetables are grown, the process in which meat ends up on supermarket shelves plus much more. The feedback from all the schools involved was extremely positive.
A representative from Lister Primary School commented that “The children and staff had a fantastic visit thanks to very friendly, helpful and knowledge staff. The guides were engaging and brilliant throughout”.
Similarly, a representative from Long Lee Primary School noted that it was a “fantastic day for children with extreme needs”. This school brought a group of students with special education needs to the farm and were delighted with the way in which the farm adapted to and took into consideration their pupils.
Ingrow Primary school brought a group of year 4 students to Gazegill Farm and they thought it was “a fabulous experience! For some of our children that’s has been a brand-new experience - one they’ll always remember”.
The schools also commented how the trips gave the children an understanding of the world, food chains, habitats, science and types of animals.
As we read in the research above, today more than ever with the constant advertising and marketing around fast food, video games and mobile phones it is important that children are exposed to the outdoors and fresh, organic produce. Links can be made to the foods that children eat everyday and when the question is posed to them…where does your food actually come from? the experience from the farm trips like these may help them answer this very question.
If you feel like your students could benefit from these trips, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and don’t forget to hit share if you like what you’re reading on our weekly blog entries.
Research taken from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-05-familiarity-junk-food-ads-linked.html
Images taken from Canva