NFU Education reached half a million schoolchildren in 2023

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Sowing seeds of agricultural knowledge, the NFU programme is connecting students with the vital role of farming in food production and sustainability

The NFU Education ‘Live’ lessons have reached 360,000 students in 5,000 classrooms

In a landmark year, the NFU Education programme has made significant strides in bringing agricultural education to more than 500,000 students nationwide. With the assistance of more than 250 farming ambassadors, the programme works to broaden a new generation’s understanding of the pivotal role of British agriculture in responsible, sustainable food production, while simultaneously emphasising the importance of environmental stewardship.
The ambassadors have visited more than 50 schools since September, delivering assemblies on farming to more than 7,000 schoolchildren – an increase of more than 300 per cent on 2022.
Looking beyond traditional classrooms, NFU Education has captivated a wider audience through innovative live lessons like Science Farm Live, Harvest Thali and The Lamb Diaries, reaching a further 360,000 students in 5,000 classrooms. These sessions are meticulously designed to integrate agricultural themes into the national STEM curriculum, providing students with a practical and immersive learning experience.
NFU President Minette Batters said: ‘I am extremely proud of the work delivered by NFU Education, resulting in some incredible achievements this year. The sheer number of students engaged in our Live lessons demonstrates the enormous appetite from children and teachers to teach and learn STEM subjects through the lens of agriculture, whether they come from a farming background or not, and we have dozens more Farmers for Schools booked in for the next school term.
‘It’s really heartening to see so many schools wanting to engage with us and provide their pupils with such a fantastic learning experience, helping them gain a greater understanding of where their food comes from.
‘As we celebrate these successes, it’s good to reflect on the power of education to excite children in food and farming and pave the way for a future generation that really values, understands and champions British agriculture.’
Farmers for Schools Ambassador Evan Taylor said: ‘Farmers for Schools appealed to me because I wanted to share my passion and experiences in farming.
‘I also want to try and get young people into farming – it can only help to future-proof farming in Britain, and the NFU programme gave me a platform to do this.
‘I gave an hour-long talk to 200 Year 10 and 11 students and it was great to see them asking questions and showing a real interest in getting into agriculture as a career.
‘Ultimately, it’s about starting a conversation – I’m looking forward to doing more and spreading awareness about how important British farming is.’

  • if you would like to register your interest in being an NFU Farmers for Schools ambassador you can contact the NFU Education team at education@nfu.org.uk

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