Farmers from Glamorgan have come together with primary schools across the county to showcase the important work farmers do every day, from producing nutritious and sustainable food, to caring for the land, keeping the wheels of the rural economy going and sustaining the Welsh language and way of life.
Visiting St David CIW, Pentwyn and Romilly school, Barry, as well as Llangan Primary school children enjoyed watching videos of sheep shearing and hearing about what the land produces as part of the Knowledge and Understanding of the World module on the curriculum.
FUW Glamorgan Executive committee member Charlotte Llewellyn, who farms just outside of Cardiff and whose father was a founder member of the FUW, said:
“It was an absolute pleasure to speak to the children and share with them our love for the land and what it produces. To be able to tell the story of food production and animal husbandry on local farms is so important at a time when new developments encroach from all sides and city schools become more remote from rural areas.“We also used the opportunity to explain and show that farming does so much more than just produce food and that actually by looking after the land we look after biodiverse rich habitats. If we can spark just a little interest in farming and the natural environment then it was a couple of hours well spent. ”
FUW Gwent and Glamorgan County Executive Officer Sharon Pritchard said:
“The children are absolutely captivated! We have put together a slideshow for them to watch short videos of farming activities and also photos of different crops and plants for them to identify. It really is food for the soul to see the children so interested and ask so many questions.”
Union staff and officials also take with them samples of hay, straw, calf rearing pellets and a fleece from a members farm so the children can experience the textures and the smells.
“It really is a fantastic opportunity to show the children what farming is all about and how we are guardians of the land and our environment. Our members are extremely focused on engaging with the next generation of farmers and of course consumers. For us to show the children the delicate balance of farming, food production and the environment is key, especially given the current cost of living crisis facing us all,” added Sharon Pritchard.
FUW County Chairman Richard Walker who joined the schools with his tractor added:
“The children are mesmerised when they see the tractor, their faces really do light up. It’s great to see the enthusiasm they have and I am always amazed at the great questions they have.”
Speaking after the visit, Cathy King, a teacher at Romilly primary school, said:
“Working with the FUW has in short, been a complete delight. What started as a basic inquiry on whether a Farmer would visit and talk to our children in support of their new topic has blossomed into an ongoing collaboration that has been truly wonderful. The FUW has not only been supportive of our topic, where they sent a Tractor in for the children to see, animal feed for them to handle and three farmers for them to quiz but they’ve supported us in on-going projects across the school also.“In addition to this, they have joined us on numerous occasions and are even providing hay bales and pumpkins for the children’s very own upcoming Farmer’s market. The support of the FUW has been amazing, they are a friendly, approachable and affable organisation with whom we look forward to building further links with.“These sessions are an invaluable learning experience for the children and a long overdue connection with the food they eat, the land that produced it and the hardworking people who farm it.”
