New scheme to provide farming and countryside experiences for pupils in Northumberland

The Crown Estate will work with The Country Trust to offer more than 40 farm visits this year to working farms across the country, including Ellington in Northumberland.

Typical activities for a farm visit include sowing seeds, harvesting vegetables, seeing and learning about animals and helping to feed them where possible, and learning about and cooking fresh produce, including making butter and flour.

The programme follows a successful pilot which saw 180 pupils from four schools take part in farm days in Shropshire, Essex and Lincolnshire.

Paul Sedgwick, MD for Rural at The Crown Estate, said: “We are passionate about the land we manage and get to see first-hand the benefits that connections with nature, the environment and fresh food can bring to individuals and communities.

“I would like to thank our tenant farmers and our managing agents Savills and Carter Jonas, along with all at The Country Trust who have worked so hard to manage a successful pilot and turn this into a full programme of activity.”

Jill Attenborough, Chief Executive of The Country Trust, said: “At The Country Trust we believe that potential is equally distributed but opportunity is not. Through food, farming and countryside experiences we aim to empower disadvantaged children to be confident, curious and create change in their lives and the world around them so that they and society thrive.”

Schools interested in participating can find out more through https://www.countrytrust.org.uk/teachers/farm-discovery/