Bedford school children discover where their food comes from with Kids Country
Twenty children at Greys Education Centre, Bedford, have had a hands-on food and farming experience to find out how their breakfast goes from field to fork, with the support of local farmers.
The Breakfast Week event, which was organised and delivered in school by the East of England Agricultural Society’s education arm, Kids Country, saw children making and tasting pancakes and rare breed pork sausages, talking to a cereal and pig farmer – who even bought a tractor to the school – as well as learn just what cereal crops can be grown in a metre-square of soil.
Karen Price, Key Stage 2 teacher at Greys Education Centre, said: “It was an absolutely wonderful experience where the children really enjoyed the hands-on learning about farming and the food they eat. The children were thoroughly engaged, and pupils and teachers alike learnt so much about how food is produced in the fields surrounding Bedford. It was brilliant to see the children engaging with the farmers
Kids Country volunteer, Farmer Luke, talks children through how tractors are used on the farm
Supported by Co-operative Central England, Marriages Flour, local Bedfordshire pig farmer, Thomas Beazley, and volunteers Mary, Farmer Luke and Farmer Ben, Kids Country were delighted to be delivering this popular learning experience back in schools following the pandemic.
Sandra Lauridsen, Kids Country education manager, says: “It was great to deliver this event face-to-face with the children at Greys Education Centre – for children nothing beats this kind of learning, touching and feeling with your hands, and seeing with your own eyes, as well as speaking to the farmers who grow this food for us.”
Sandra continued: “We are really looking forward to delivering more events to primary schools in 2022, especially our Food and Farming Day on Friday 1st July, which we have had to run as a virtual event for the last two years with over 2,000 school children already signed up to attend at the usual venue, the East of England Showground.”
The Kids Country team have planned the events, including the flagship Food and Farming Day, to minimise risk from Covid-19 infections, whilst also ensuring that children have a memorable and meaningful experience.
To view the full range of events on offer this year, please visit https://www.eastofengland.org.uk/all-events or email slauridsen@eastofengland.org.uk with any questions.
