Country Trust issued £78k grant to boost farm educational programme

A US agriculture foundation has provided UK-based Country Trust with a £78,000 grant to support the expansion of its educational farm programme.

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation, which aims to prevent and relieve hunger through sustainable agriculture development, has announced the grant.

It has provided a $100,000 (£78,000) grant to Country Trust, an educational charity connecting disadvantaged children with food and farming.

Last year, 20,000 children from disadvantaged communities visited a working farm with the charity.

The grant aims to enhance the growth of the farm discovery programme and enable thousands of children from disadvantaged areas to explore working farms.

Roger Batkin, chair of the Foundation, said: "Supporting our youth’s connection to farming requires us to sow the seeds of inspiration and embrace new knowledge through farm visits, cultivating a sustainable future for our world.

"Driven by our farmer-focused solutions to sustainably feed the world, AGCO Agriculture Foundation remain committed to supporting the next generation to understand agriculture and food production from farm to table."

The on-farm experience will teach students about climate change, soil health, crop production, agricultural technology, food nutrition and other agricultural-related topics.

The funding will also provide up to 70 teachers with access to resources and digital activities to sustain the impact of the farm discovery programme.

Jill Attenborough, CEO of the Country Trust, said: "We are facing significant environmental, health and educational challenges, the impacts of which fall disproportionately on the poorest in our society.

"We urgently need to enable the next generation to forge a strong connection with the land, our life support system and to help them acquire the knowledge and skills that will enable them to thrive."