About The Year of Food and Farming

The Year of Food and Farming aims to promote healthy living by offering young people direct experience of the countryside, farming and food. The Year runs from September 2007 to July 2008 and during that time, there'll be exciting opportunities for children to:

• follow the story from 'field to fork'
• explore the importance of food
• make informed decisions about food and healthy nutrition
• watch what happens on a real-life farm
• experience what the countryside can offer
• learn more about environmental issues linked to food and the countryside.

Throughout the Year, activities and resources will support curriculum teaching and offer memorable hands-on learning experiences. Taking part can help schools achieve the Healthy Schools Standard and the Year will support the Learning Outside the Classroom manifesto.

The Year will provide memorable opportunities to engage young people of all ages in many parts of the curriculum including PSHE, Science, Design and Technology and Geography. The website brings together offers of help, details of events and curriculum resources to make it an easily accessible topic for schools.

The Year offers an opportunity for schools to showcase their work and share ideas with other schools through the Megamap. It is hoped that it will forge strong links between schools and food and farming businesses, and provide educational materials that will last beyond the Year itself.

Visits

Take part in the Year by getting out and about

Learning experiences in 'real' situations have the capacity to raise achievement across a range of subjects and to help pupils develop better personal and social skills You'll find that visits taking place during the Year of Food and Farming are fantastic opportunities to bring the curriculum to life through hands-on activities.

Visits could include farms, city farms, community gardens, countryside events and participation in countryside activities. Above all, visits to the countryside will be something pupils will never forget.

For many young people having these experiences at school is essential, as it may be there only chance to have these opportunities. Learning outside the classroom can contribute to all areas of the curriculum (from science and geography to citizenship) and can contribute to Extended Schools.

Visits should be both safe and fun, for advice:

• Teachers: follow the HSE guidelines
• Farmers and growers: support if available through the Countryside, Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS) or get in touch with FACE.

Above all, visits to the countryside will be something pupils will never forget!

Find activities and information on our website:

• Look on the Megamap for farm visits, other visits or events
• Visit your region's Space on the Megamap to find out what people are planning near you.

If you're a school hoping to make a visit or a farmer interested in organising a visit, you might like to look at one of our key projects:

• Growing Schools
• Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens
• LEAF
• Kids Connect

Pledge your support for the Year of Food and Farming and help us accomplish the campaign's aspirations:

Year of Food and Farming aspiration No. 2:

Every pupil will have first-hand experience of food being grown by visiting a farm or other countryside location (day or residential) during his or her primary school years.

Year of Food and Farming aspiration No. 4:

Every student will have taken part in an activity within the countryside during his or her secondary school years.

The Year of Food and Farming would like to thank The Co-operative for supporting Farm Visits; enabling schools and farms to link up locally with the support they need to run successful visits.