Animal magic for kids

Two-and-a-half thousand children from across Sussex spent a day finding out about the countryside and where, exactly, much of their food comes from.

'Connect with the Countryside' is an initiative of the South of England Agricultural Society. Best know for its massive June show spectacular, the Society works across the region, from Hampshire to Kent, to promote rural matters.

"This event was all about giving our young visitors a greater understanding of farming, food production and the countryside", says Deborah Barber the Society's director. "The aim is to inspire teachers to look at ways they can use the countryside in greater depth when teaching the curriculum, and to allow the children direct access to a wide range of animals and farming practices in a really hands-on way."

"The range of livestock on show was truly impressive", said one satisfied teacher from a Brighton primary school. "And for the children to be able to handle the animals was great – otherwise all that many of them know about the countryside is what they see on television or read about in books. Few of them get taken out to the country by their parents. "

Schools from as far away as Eastbourne and Midhurst made the journey to the Society's showground at Ardingly, near Haywards Heath. The closest school to attend was from Ardingly village itself. Teaching assistant Emma Jackson said how much the children had enjoyed the day, and how educational it had been, despite being very much a rural school. "Few of our children now come from families who are connected with rural life", she said. "Most parents work in offices and many commute to Crawley, London and beyond – so to be able to connect the children with the countryside is just great, and we can take many of the experiences back to the classroom and build on them."

Event organiser Jo Hedges, the agricultural society's education officer, was very pleased with the way the day went, and the feedback from teachers and the children who came along. "The comments we are hearing are great. As a Society we have a duty to help people discover how important farming and the countryside are in their everyday lives – how they rely on the rural economy for everything from cornflakes to pullovers."

The young visitors all appeared to be enjoying their day out of the classroom. Among the most popular attractions were being able to handle wildlife, and the chance to watch a Sheep Show. Farmer Stuart Barnes introduced various sheep breeds. He went through the key products we get from sheep (milk, wool, and meat), demonstrated sheep-shearing, and ended with an amazing sheep dance to disco music.

With a recent NFU survey indicating that few children nowadays know where their food comes from, and how many believe milk to come from the supermarket rather than out of a cow, there is obviously still much more to do to make youngsters aware of rural issues.

"We will be continuing with our remit to promote agriculture, support farmers and raise awareness of the countryside", says David Allam. "Connect with the Countryside will be a feature of our annual calendar."

This year's event had a waiting list, and schools interested in attending next year should contact the Society. Email jo@seas.org.uk