Food and farming day

School children were taught where their food comes from at Peterborough's East of England Showground 

At the Kids Country Food and Farming Day pupils from over 50 primary schools were taught about food provenance, farming and the countryside through a range of hands-on activities and exhibitions.

Hungry pupils also ate an estimated 4,000 strawberries on the day.

Sandra Lauridsen is education manager at the East of England Agricultural Society'seducational programme Kids Country, which organised the event.

She said: “It is important we continue to build children’s knowledge of where their food comes from and develop their understanding of, and passion for rural life, farming and agriculture.

“The feedback we received from children and their teachers who attended the day was overwhelmingly positive.”

The annual day saw the East of England Showground in Peterborough transformed into 11 interactive zones.

Among other activities children were given the chance to make hummus with celebrity chef Rachel Green in celebration of the International Year of Pulses.

The Tesco Eat Happy Project – which sponsored the activities and supplied 400 punnets of fruit for the occasion – teamed up with fruit supplier Berry Gardens to showcase how berries are grown.

Tesco’s educational scheme is aimed at improving children’s relationship with food.

Caroline Silke, Head of Community at the supermarket, said: “Food and Farming Day is fundamental in helping us achieve our vision of giving children a better relationship with food.

“It goes hand in hand with Tesco’s Eat Happy initiative which is designed to fuel children's interest in and understanding of where food comes from.”

In total 100 leading organisations from across the agricultural sector, including Weetabix and agricultural machinery brand New Holland, attended the event at Peterborough’s East of England Showground.

There were also displays of farm machinery, and livestock including cattle, sheep and ostriches.

“I learnt that you have to grind flour to make bread, and that farmers grow wheat in the fields which goes into my breakfast,” said one enthusiastic pupil from Ravensthorpe Primary School in Peterborough.

“It has been the best day ever!” said another.

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