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Farm Visit for Food and Nutrition Students

Farmer Andrew Brown welcomed 23 Year 9 Food and Nutrition students to his farm to spend the day engaging in a number of activities to enhance and develop their understanding of where their food comes from.

Fairchilds Lodge Farm is situated in the beautiful Welland Valley in the county of Rutland. It is a predominantly arable farm growing wheat, beans, oilseed rape and barley. The farm has evidence of historical landscapes with the ridge and furrow system evident in the surrounding fields and a disused railway line also featuring in the farm landscape. This environment contributes to greater biodiversity across the whole farm.

The Year 9 students from Manor High School visited the farm to increase their knowledge of the food supply chain and from the very start of the visit they were engaged and ready to learn. Bobbie Harvey, the local LEAF Regional Education Consultant, and Andrew planned a packed agenda of interesting activities to not only show the students where their food comes from but also appreciate the outdoors as a learning environment.

The students focussed on the food supply chain necessary to create a cheeseburger, creating a human chain of processes and people involved. This activity enabled the children to think beyond the end food product and consider possible career entry points into the food production industry. Andrew was also able to give first-hand knowledge of the growing process of wheat that is then milled to make flour for bread. Following on from this, the students enjoyed a walk across the ridge and furrowed fields while learning about sheep and meat production.

The students were enthusiastic about their day on the farm, commenting, “I like learning about agriculture because it really grabbed my attention. I would consider being an agricultural engineer in the future.” Many students expressed their preference for learning outside the classroom to see where their food comes from, commenting, “It was great to have hands on experience and learn from a knowledgeable and practising farmer.”

Y9 Fairchilds Lodge Farm visit