NFU launches new education roadshow to enhance farming education

Introducing food and farming to children's education is seen as increasingly important

The National Farmers' Union is launching a new education roadshow - the Discovery Barn - to enthuse children to learn about agriculture and where their food comes from.

The Discovery Barn is a new mobile trailer, which combines games and facts for primary school children to learn on their own without teachers or assistance.

And with a handful of farming and rural shows under its belt, the Discovery Barn has already made a lasting impression.

So far nearly 3,500 children have visited the Discovery Barn at four shows, with 92% of visitors rating their experience as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

Introducing food and farming to children's education is seen as increasingly important, and farmers have built novel ways of building upon this.

A dairy farm in Worcestershire that hosts learning visits for youngsters has built a new outdoor classroom after getting a £23,000 business grant.

A Kent farmer works with a national farming and education charity to bring live farming into the heart of classrooms across the country.

'Getting children excited'

NFU Vice President Guy Smith said that it was time to create something new and up-to-date to keep on inspiring thousands of children.

“After inspiring thousands of children with positive messages about agriculture over the past 15 years, we feel it’s time to bring our Let’s Talk Farming educational offering bang up-to- date.

“We’ve enlisted the help of the country’s top experts in education and visitor attractions to develop a fun and interactive experience, aimed to get children excited about food and farming.

“The activities have been carefully created to educate children about the realities of farming, such as tractors and technology. It is all about offering a true representation of farming in a way that children can understand.”