As well
as providing opportunities for pupils to learn about food and farming, the Farm
Academy Programme helps support small, local producers through the school
markets and provides the opportunity for members of the school and wider
community to buy local, fresh and seasonal produce and meet the farmers behind
the food.
Pupils are involved in running the markets from start to finish. They take responsibility for what happens and the decisions are theirs – enabling schools to communicate the importance of sustainably-produced local food and providing a context for looking at food chain issues and understanding where food comes from.
Money raised from producer stall fees and the sale of produce made/grown by the school will go towards further farm visits or food education in their school.
At the moment all schools enrolled on the scheme are primary but the success of the programme means it is now being extended to secondary as well.
Rupert Aker, head of learning at the Soil Association commented on the project: "The Farm Academy Programme is a fantastic scheme because everyone involved benefits.
"You see a real difference in pupils as they learn 'on-the-job' about farming, animal welfare, food growing and cooking – but it also helps provide a new market for local producers and micro- food enterprises; and it also gives the local community the opportunity to buy affordable and fresh local produce, and meet the farmers who are producing the food."
Pupils are involved in running the markets from start to finish. They take responsibility for what happens and the decisions are theirs – enabling schools to communicate the importance of sustainably-produced local food and providing a context for looking at food chain issues and understanding where food comes from.
Money raised from producer stall fees and the sale of produce made/grown by the school will go towards further farm visits or food education in their school.
At the moment all schools enrolled on the scheme are primary but the success of the programme means it is now being extended to secondary as well.
Rupert Aker, head of learning at the Soil Association commented on the project: "The Farm Academy Programme is a fantastic scheme because everyone involved benefits.
"You see a real difference in pupils as they learn 'on-the-job' about farming, animal welfare, food growing and cooking – but it also helps provide a new market for local producers and micro- food enterprises; and it also gives the local community the opportunity to buy affordable and fresh local produce, and meet the farmers who are producing the food."
Words:
Maria
Bracken
London Farm Academy Programme
This is an exciting two year project involving 10 London schools (both primary and secondary). The schools will firstly go on residential visits to organic farms where they will take part in a variety of activities that will develop their educational awareness around food and farming.On their return to school the pupils will be encouraged and supported in setting up school farmers' markets on a termly basis at which they can sell their own school grown produce. The markets will also support small, local producers as well as providing the opportunity for members of the school and wider community to buy local, fresh and seasonal produce and meet the farmers.
Supported by...
London Farm Academy is supported by the Real Bread Campaign as part of their Lessons in Loaf scheme. For more information, please visit the Real Bread Campaign website. Find more photos in the Campaign's Flickr set.If you need any further information, please contact Rupert Aker on 0117 914 2422 or raker@soilassociation.org
Info at: http://www.soilassociation.org/schoolfood/schoolfarmersmarkets/londonfarmacademy
No comments:
Post a Comment