AHDB are increasing the number of places available to new host farmers for their school farm visits programme, following a successful pilot run.
There are spots for thirty farmers across the pork, dairy, and beef and lamb sectors in England and Wales on the scheme.
Successful acceptance comes with training to pass fully funded Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS) training, alongside one-to-one support.
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One of last year’s participants was Serena Colwill, a fourth-generation farmer from Exford in Somerset.
“It not only benefits [schoolchildren’s] mental health, but also helps them understand where their food comes from, how we care for our animals, and the environment,” she said. “Each child should be given the opportunity to experience this.”
Serena said that experience was “fantastic,” and gave thanks to the organisation for letting her enhance her knowledge during farm visits at no cost.
The CEVAS training can be completed face to face, with three days of training sessions in October or online from January.
Farmers will have access to CEVAS trainers and tailored support from a LEAF Education Specialist.
This will give them all the necessary information on how to deliver school farm visits, as well as letting them learn from other host farmers.
Any schools participating will also have access to funding for transport costs, one of the main barriers preventing taking children on farm visits.
Roz Reynolds, AHDB head of education, said: “We are really excited to be supporting even more farmers this year.
“We know from the pilot that sharing your knowledge and giving young people the opportunity to learn where their food comes through experiencing a working farm first-hand can be really rewarding and would encourage anyone who is looking to host school visits on their farm to find out more and apply.’’
Applications are open to until 1 August, and more information can be found here.
