The hunt is on for the best farmers in the UK when it comes to educating children and young adults about where their food comes from.
Bill Graham, OBE, Executive Director of FACE believes that it is extremely important to celebrate the time and efforts that many farmers have put into having people on their farms: "Our vision is for every child in the UK to visit a farm during their school years to understand the fascinating world of food production here in the UK. Working with farmers to provide a great learning experience in a safe environment is what FACE is all about. This competition seeks to highlight the great work that is done by farmers up and down the country".
Andrew Orme, Managing Director of Bayer CropScience agrees; "It is vital that we reconnect farmers and the people who depend on them for their food. Who better to start with than children at a school age? Bayer CropScience is proud to sponsor a competition to find the very best in farming education."
Previous overall winner, Ian Shears from Devon said "Being short-listed for the Bayer/FACE awards was a fantastic experience for us here at Highfield Farm. The awards ceremony was such a memorable event, and it was really useful to be able to talk with other farmers hosting educational visits."
There are five categories for a farmer to enter
Access to Farms
Biodiversity
Bringing the Farm to the Classroom
Careers on the Farm
Innovative Learning
Ian Shears concludes, "I would urge any farmer considering entry to go for it - you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The awards that we won have helped increase our profile incredibly with schools in Devon, and certainly has led to an increase in visit bookings - we are aiming for 100 visits in 2010!"
For more information about the Bayer/FACE awards, and to find an application form, farmers are invited to look at the FACE website at http://www.face-online.org.uk or the Bayer CropScience website at http://www.bayercropscience.co.uk.
