Some children think fish fingers are made from chicken
Connecting people with farming, how their food is produced and where it comes from is vital to the future of the agricultural industry.
Recent decades have seen a notable disconnect emerge between agriculture and an increasingly urbanised population’s knowledge of the industry and origins of food production.
A 2017 study of 5,000 children by the British Nutrition Survey revealed that one in 10 of those aged 14 to 16 believe tomatoes grow underground, while almost a fifth of five-to seven-year-olds think fish fingers are made from chicken.
A survey of 2,000 people in 2016 for the charity LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) found that nearly a quarter of adults do not know eggs come from chickens, or bacon from pigs.
At a time of huge uncertainty, when British farmers and landowners require the public’s support like never before, these are alarming numbers.
It was partly in response to this lack of insight that Cambridgeshire farmer Tom Martin decided to reach out into classrooms. Every fortnight, he used his smartphone to talk to a class of 11-year-olds at Harbour Primary & Nursery School in Newhaven, East Sussex.
He shared what was happening on his farm and answered queries about food, farming and the countryside. The calls were such a success, they evolved into the FaceTime a Farmer initiative – a nationwide project co-ordinated by LEAF and sponsored by Strutt & Parker.
Today, thousands of children take part in regular online chats with farmers across the country. Discussions cover topics ranging from genetics and climate change to animal welfare and food technology.
The initiative is a way of reaching children who might not get to see a farm first-hand. It’s an opportunity for them to ask questions about topics such as organic farming and the modern technology used within agriculture.
Farmers can take pupils on virtual tours of their farm and show areas of crop production and livestock at different times of the year, reconnecting youngsters with the seasonality of food.
They can share the environmental work they do – from providing winter food for farmland birds to maintaining flower-rich foraging habitats – and showcase how they are embracing sustainable farming methods.
This initiative is one of many from LEAF focusing on consumer engagement; their most prominent is the Open Farm Sunday. Since its founding in 2006 over 1,600 farmers across the UK have opened their gates and welcomed over two million people onto their farm for one Sunday each year.
George Dickin, Farming Assistant (Shrewsbury), Strutt & Parker.
