More than 250 ambassadors have spearheaded the NFU’s Farmers for Schools programme since its inception. The programme helps schoolchildren learn about the vital work British farmers and growers do to produce safe, tasty and nutritious food, and how this goes hand in hand with caring for the land and the environment.
‘Starting a conversation’
In one term, 77 Farmers for Schools ambassadors from across the country left the farm and headed for the classroom. They volunteered their time and expertise to deliver assemblies to more than 7,000 primary and secondary school children.
They spoke about their day-to-day life on their farm, showcased the value of British farming and corrected any myths or misconceptions, as well as answered questions from students.
“Ultimately, it’s all about starting a conversation,” said ambassador, Evan Taylor.
“Farmers for Schools appealed to me because I wanted to share my passion and experiences in farming. Alongside this, I also want to try and get young people into farming to help to future-proof farming in Britain and the NFU programme gave me a platform to do this.
“I gave an hour-long talk to 200 Year 10 and 11 students and it was great to see them asking questions and showing a great interest in getting into agriculture as a career.”
This year has seen a 225% increase in school visits and over 300% increase in pupils seen when compared with 2022 figures.
With many more visits arranged for next term, our Farmers for Schools ambassadors are vital in helping school children learn about the work farmers do.
‘The power of education’
NFU Education’s innovation also extends beyond traditional classrooms with their live lessons, including Science Farm Live, Harvest Thali and The Lamb Diaries, reaching more than 360,000 students across 5,000 classrooms. These lessons integrate agriculture with the national curriculum to teach students through their STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.
NFU President Minette Batters said she was “extremely proud of the work delivered by NFU Education” adding that the high uptake among students “demonstrates the enormous appetite from children and teachers to teach and learn STEM subjects through the lens of agriculture, whether they come from a farming background or not”.
She said: “It’s really heartening to see so many schools wanting to engage with us and provide their pupils with such a fantastic learning experience which helps them gain a greater understanding of where their food comes from.
“It’s good to reflect on the power of education to excite children in food and farming and pave the way for a future generation that really values, understand and champions British agriculture.”
NFU President Minette Batters
“As we celebrate these successes, it’s good to reflect on the power of education to excite children in food and farming and pave the way for a future generation that really values, understand and champions British agriculture.”
