Your Countryside on a Plate
Group of children in the countrysideNational Park Farmers help school children learn about how sustainable farming produces the best food
“Who likes burgers, kebabs, shepherds pie and Sunday roast?” we ask. “We do!” cry the children. “Where do they come from?”, we ask. “The shops!” the youngsters reply.
You may be shocked, but how can we expect adults to care for the countryside and make good judgements about the quality of their food and where they buy it from if no-one has ever told them how food is grown and produced?
2008 is the year of Food and Farming and National Parks all over the UK are backing the movement by encouraging farmers who embrace environmentally-friendly farming practices to open their farm gates to school children, especially from the towns and help them understand the connection between good practice and good food.
Cow in a shedNorthumberland is a place of high hills and moors where the land is suitable for grazing cattle and sheep and where some of the country’s tastiest beef and lamb is produced. Two farmers in Tynedale have gone through some useful training to help them help teachers make the best of a farm visit and outdoor classroom.
The Gibson family of Gibbs Hill Farm on Hadrian’s Wall run their farm with a Higher Level Scheme agreement with Natural England to farm their land using sustainable practices, and are keen to share their work and values with young people, especially from the towns. Daughter, Sarah Gibson, a horticulturalist who has recently returned to the farm, has been through the Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS) training and will be hosting visits from Key Stage 1 upwards.
Today, it’s important that when children learn about livestock farming they understand that it can be precarious, and that many farmers need to diversify into other businesses to be secure. At Gibbs Hill, as 
Young girl holding a lambwell as farming beef and sheep, Sarah hopes to develop a horticultural business to provide fresh vegetables under cover alongside their good meat. The family also has holiday cottages, B&B and a bunkhouse which is usedas a base forschool visits andUniversity student groups. They can cater for disabled visitors and have an wheelchair accessible route to the farm pond.
Farming mum, Val Gibson, says: “It’s very rewarding to be able share our work and knowledge with a new generation, and the children are full of wonder and fascination when they visit real animals in the countryside.”
Jacqueline and Susan Salt, who have just started farming at Rattenraw near Otterburn are new to farming but are keen diversify their business into education and have taken the CEVAS training. Plans are in the early stages, but the family would particularly like to help less abled children get out to see a working farm in the future.
Northumberland National Park Farming Team is happy to help other farmers in and around the Park to look at ways in which they can share their wisdom with future shoppers and cooks. Contact Tim Bell or Sally Hut on 01434 605555 or email sally.hutt@nnpa.org.uk.
There are lots of teaching resources about food and farming available at : www.yearoffoodandfarming.org.uk and http://www.face-online.org.uk/. Teachers who would like to arrange a farm visit in the National Park can contact the Farming Team above. Or for other parts of the county, contact David Thompson, Regional Education Co-ordinator for Northumberland, FACE: 01665 577658.
