Cart shed to classroom
Picture: L-R: Brendan Maddison, Louise Elliot, farmer Jane Gray, Connor MacManus, Stephanie Slater, Tamsin Cox and Ken Haynes (Adviser at RDS North East). Youngsters are all pupils of Witton Gilbert Primary School.
A County Durham farm is putting on educational visits for local youngsters with the launch of a new Farm Study Centre part-funded by Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES).
Mark and Jane Gray took on the tenancy of Broom House, a mixed livestock and arable farm near Durham City, in 1999. Among the farm buildings was a 19th century, stone-built cart shed, more recently used for storage, which the couple realised could be converted to create a base for the school visits that they planned to host.
The Grays were awarded a 50 per cent RES grant towards the cost of the conversion and work is now complete. The new facility, known as "The Cart Shed" comprises a large airy barn with beautiful arched double doors opening into the farmyard. This area can be adapted according to the requirements of each group to provide an eating area, classroom or art workshop. It also provides a rainy day space for schools to use.
There are full cloakroom facilities, including hand washing basins. Included in the development is a new kitchen area from which the Grays sell their own Aberdeen Angus beef, lamb and Saddleback pork products direct to customers. The kitchen can also be used as an educational facility if groups request catering or practical cookery demonstrations.
Jane Gray said:
"Our school visits are proving to be very successful. This is because we organise practical activities for the children that are closely linked to National Curriculum schemes of work.
"We are mainly targeting Key Stage 2 and 3 science and geography students, but we welcome other groups too and put together a programme for each visit individually tailored to the needs of teaching staff.
"Activities are structured to include hands-on work in a safe, secure environment and every group has exclusive use during their visit. Our aim is to get schoolchildren on to our modern, working farm to discover the relationship between their countryside, the environment and the food they eat."
The Grays have also entered into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS). This has enabled them to carry out extensive conservation works such as the recreation of traditional hay meadows, hedge planting and pond restoration. All of this has helped enhance local wildlife.
Jane Gray said:
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"Children find it fascinating to see what they learn in books working in real-life, whether it be through pond dipping, studying growth in pigs or sheep reproduction.
"We have a few more educational visits lined up over the next few weeks, but we'll be launching the new venture properly at the start of the next school year in September."
Ken Haynes, an adviser at Defra's Rural Development Service North East, said:
"This new project should help a whole new generation gain a greater understanding of farming and the environment as well as help the Grays create a sustainable business for the future.
"We're delighted to be able to support this project – by encouraging youngsters to learn more about their food and where it comes from, we can hopefully bridge the gap between town and country and help instil a greater sense of ownership of the land, thus safeguarding it for future generations."
