Giving children the opportunity to get an insight in to farming is the idea behind Kids Country. Emily Ashworth speaks to Sandra Lauridsen, Kids Country education Manager, about the importance of the initiative.
Since 1797, The East of England Agricultural Society has been serving the rural community through its annual shows, conferences and charitable work. A rich history in championing farming in all its glory, it is now on a mission to educate the next generation about agriculture and give children an insight into where their food comes from through their programme, Kids Country.
And at the helm of this is education manager, Sandra Lauridsen, who joined the society 12 years ago. Although Sandra has no background in farming, she grew up taking holidays on a family farm in Wales, and this role within the society allowed her to relish in a new challenge linked to agriculture. Initially, she helped out with Jamie Oliver's project, Feast, to help dinner ladies retrain, and it sparked the idea for the society's first project, Kids Cooking.
They then invited children to the showground to cook, educating them about the ingredients they were using, and it resulted in Kids Country in 2012.
Sandra says: "We wanted to ignite curiosity about the journey it takes to produce food and show them what happens in the real world. "We always start by asking them who they think are superheroes, and that in our industry the farmers are the superheroes.
"We ask them to raise their hands if they've had breakfast - and then explain that without farmers they wouldn't have eaten this morning."
Kids Country is aimed at key stage one and key stage two children, and when it comes to education, Sandra believes there is a definite disconnect between children and their knowledge of food production, which is, she says, ‘frustrating.
"There's definitely a gap in the curriculum," says Sandra. "Children don't understand - they think you can buy [food] in a packet from the supermarket. We ask them the question, ‘where does food actually come from?'"
There are various events available to attend at the showground itself in Peterborough, but schools can also approach the society should they want to use any materials for specific learning within their own classrooms. From breakfast week and grow your own potatoes where the children can come face-to-face with an agronomist, to their upcoming autumn event, Apples and Pears, Sandra ensures it is a hands-on process as, she says, kids love ‘a bit of muck.'
Through each event, various elements are covered including growth, nutrition and ways of using the produce.
"In breakfast week, we might focus on pigs, and they can learn about the different joints. They get to make their own sausages, then taste a normal sausage and a rare breed [one]. I ask them which they prefer, but most aren't used to the taste of rare breeds," says Sandra.
"It's got to be fun - if it's fun they don't realise they're being educated. Children love to see farming and that's what we're passionate about, [giving] them the knowledge of where their food comes from and getting food to their table."
It goes much further though, and through the programme Sandra hopes to widen the conversation and let the next generation see the potential of a farming career.
She says: "There's a huge amount to learn though the experience - how long it takes for crops to grow, climate change, driver shortages, the challenges of prices. There's a horrible stigma [around farming] and we try and change this on our Food and Farming Day. from and getting food to their table."
It goes much further though, and through the programme Sandra hopes to widen the conversation and let the next generation see the potential of a farming career.
She says: "There's a huge amount to learn though the experience - how long it takes for crops to grow, climate change, driver shortages, the challenges of prices. There's a horrible stigma [around farming] and we try and change this on our Food and Farming Day.
"There are so many options, from seeing the first shoots of a crop coming through the soil, to tractor technology, animal husbandry and agronomy. You have to tune in to what the children want and navigate around that."
The society's flagship event, Food and Farming Day, attracts up to 8,000 children from up and down the country and it is such events along with, says Sandra, Leaf Open Farm Sunday and initiatives like Facetime a Farmer, that will help to change the perception of the industry.
She says: "Engaging with local schools gives us opportunity, but the biggest challenge is transport - some schools can't afford a coach to get here, so all these big industries that want kids to learn about agriculture, sponsor a coach. "The [kids] light up and you see the pride they get - they take huge ownership of what they have done. We have always believed that engaging with children about food, farming and the countryside is absolutely critical to shaping their decisions as adults, whether that's what snack they might choose, what behaviour they might display when in the countryside, or even whether they might be the next combine harvester designer of the future. If out of 1,000 children, two decide to go into farming, then that's great. Farming is a wonderful thing and something to be proud of."
Try this baked apple recipe at home with your children
Serves six people
Ingredients
- 6 eating apples (washed)
- A handful of raisins or sultanas
- 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 tsp demerara sugar
- Optional: 2 tbsp. oats, chopped nuts or 1 tsp cinnamon
Method
- Turn the oven on to 200C/180degC fan/ gas 6. Place the apples on the worktop and push the apple corer into the centre of each one.
- Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
- Stand the apple on foil or in dish if at home, Using your fingers, push a little bit of the filling mixture into each apple. Add a blob of butter to the top and sprinkle over the a small amount of sugar
- Ask a grown-up to put the dish in the oven for 20 minutes or until the apples are soft and cooked through
- Serve with ice cream or cream
