The nine winners of the NFU’s Farmvention competition on Wednesday (24 November) exhibited their ideas for new inventions and technologies specifically designed to aid climate-smart farming and food production, earning them the title of Climate Superheroes.
Showcasing their innovative designs at the House of Commons, the children aged between five and fourteen from the winning schools showed MPs how they utilised their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills and knowledge to develop practical tools for sustainable farming.
From a smart irrigation system to an all-season greenhouse, the inventions were a few examples of hundreds of designs submitted by students across the country who have taken part in the NFU’s Farmvention competition this year, which teaches STEM subjects through the lens of agriculture and farming, this year with a focus on the aim for British farming to be net zero by 2040.
As well as the showcase in the House of Commons, the winning schools have received a prize of £1,000 for their school to spend on STEM or outdoor learning equipment.
At the event, NFU President Minette Batters awarded the students a trophy to mark their achievement.
She said: “There has been a huge focus on climate change this year so it’s only right that we celebrate our Climate Superheroes – not just the farmers who deliver sustainable food for our plates every day, but the creatives and scientists who come up with the new technologies that enable us to do it.
“The ingenuity of the inventions showcased today is truly exciting and I hope this experience has inspired children about the possibilities within both farming and STEM careers.
“For me, the best thing was seeing each project demonstrating a real understanding of the needs of farming and food production, as well as an impressive element of creativity, innovation, scientific knowledge and skill. It highlights what teachers who have used our resources already know – that farming is a fantastic way to teach STEM subjects in a practical and meaningful way.”
The Climate Superheroes showcasing their projects included:
Alfie Roberts from Shoreham Village School - invented a waste-saving app
The Edenham Home Edders from Bourne Tuition - designed drones to help solve problem of flooding in Lincolnshire
Gregory Laycock-Hammond from Yatton Junior School - investigated and built a greenhouse for all seasons
Class 2 at Wark Primary School - invented the Sensor Sprinkler 2021 to reduce water waste
Dean Araj, Pip Bimson and Ben Sullivan from City of London Freemens School - designed a vertical farming system to enable crops to be grown in salt marshes
Aryan Soni from Wootton Park School - invented a ‘Smart Irrigation’ system
Millie Nabarro from Thomas' Clapham - developed a carbon labelling system for British flowers
Samay Kachalia from Merchant Taylors School - developed the C-shift: a carbon recovery and soil injection device
Roland Christopher from Kings - investigated and designed an Arduino based lighting system for growing crops
