New partnership between The Crown Estate and The Country Trust to provide farming and countryside experiences for more than 1,000 pupils
Children from primary schools in areas of social and economic disadvantage will be offered a taste of life on a working farm and access to the countryside as part of a new partnership between The Crown Estate and The Country Trust.
The Crown Estate, which manages more than 185,000 acres of rural land, will work with The Country Trust to offer more than 40 farm visits this year to working farms across the country to enable more children to learn about nature, the countryside and food production.
The 40 visits will take place on Crown Estate farms and estates across the country, including:
Patshull Estate in Shropshire
Albyns Farm in Romford
Thorolds College Farm in Boston
Windsor Farms, Windsor Great Park
Ellington, Northumberland
Typical activities for a farm visit include sowing seeds, harvesting vegetables, seeing and learning about animals and helping to feed them where possible, and learning about and cooking fresh produce, including making butter and flour.
Schools taking part have a higher-than-average percentage of children eligible for Free School Meals, aligning with The Country Trust’s mission to support children who face additional barriers to build confidence and develop curiosity about where food comes from and how it is grown.
The programme follows a successful pilot which saw 180 pupils from four schools take part in farm days in Shropshire, Essex and Lincolnshire.
Paul Sedgwick, MD for Rural at The Crown Estate, said: “We are passionate about the land we manage and get to see firsthand the benefits that connections with nature, the environment and fresh food can bring to individuals and communities.
“We are proud to be able to work with our farmers and The Country Trust to help around 1000 children from disadvantaged areas to experience first-hand the joy of getting their hands in the soil; picking and cooking fresh vegetables; and feeding and caring for animals.
“I would like to thank our tenant farmers and our managing agents Savills and Carter Jonas, along with all at The Country Trust who have worked so hard to manage a successful pilot and turn this into a full programme of activity.”
Jill Attenborough, Chief Executive of The Country Trust, said: “At The Country Trust we believe that potential is equally distributed but opportunity is not. Through food, farming and countryside experiences we aim to empower disadvantaged children to be confident, curious and create change in their lives and the world around them so that they and society thrive.
“It’s only by working with funders, landowners, farmers and schools that we’re able to make these experiences happen, and we are grateful to all those who have volunteered their time and resources to make this a reality.”
The Country Trust is a national education charity dedicated to bringing alive the working countryside for children least able to access it. It works with landowners, farms and primary schools to arrange farm discovery visits to help children make the connection between the countryside, farming and the food they eat.
Schools interested in participating can find out more through this link: https://www.countrytrust.org.uk/teachers/farm-discovery/