The event, held at Ysgol Bro Alun, Gwersyllt on Wednesday 1 July, saw local farmers and NFU Cymru staff provide a series of workshops and lessons to support children’s understanding about food production from farm-to-fork.
Children watched live sheep shearing demonstrations, where they learned about the importance of shearing for animal welfare and the value of a wool as a natural, sustainable fibre. The crops station, meanwhile, gave pupils the opportunity to grind grain and learn about its uses in many of the traditional products they have at home, such as bread and cereals. In the kitchen, children got to put this learning to practice, using flour to bake their own shortbread. Pupils also visited stations dedicated to dairy and poultry farming and were able to get a feel for machinery work by having a seat in the agricultural vehicles on display. Lifesize model farm animals in the schoolyard helped to bring a farmyard feel to the school grounds.
NFU Cymru Deputy President Paul Williams, who was one of the farmers supporting the activities at Ysgol Bro Alun, said:
"It's been a thoroughly rewarding day giving the pupils an engaging food and farming experience.
"There are occasions where we, as farmers, can sometimes feel slightly detached from the people who buy and eat our products, but that certainly hasn't been the case today. This has been a great opportunity to have positive interactions with the next generation of consumers and reinforce their understanding of where their food comes from."
Helen Oldfield, Head Teacher at Ysgol Bro Alun added:
"I think it's really important that the children know where their food comes from. I think it's also important that they value farming as an industry and recognise how hard farmers work to produce the food that we eat.
"We kept this visit as a secret from the children, so they had a big surprise from the moment they arrived and saw the sheep on the field. The pupils have been really excited and have asked some very interesting questions, so I think it's something that they will all remember for a really long time."
The event at Ysgol Bro Alun was a highlight of Welsh Farming Week – NFU Cymru’s annual celebration of Welsh food and farming. The week of campaigning aims to promote farmers' core role as food producers, while also highlighting the integral work of farmers in delivering for Wales' environment, economy, culture and way of life.