At the end of our Green Planet Week, Lower 4 and Upper 4 students had the chance to learn more about where their food comes from, straight from someone who works in the heart of British farming. Mark Jeffery, a real life ‘Mixed Farmer’ from Shaftesbury, owns a herd of dairy cows, keeps fields of sheep and grows crops such as wheat, barley and oats. He is also an ambassador for the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), and works with the Government to protect farmers’ rights. As part of the Farmers for Schools programme, Mark visited Talbot Heath to talk about the world of agriculture, answer our questions, and challenge us to think a little differently about what’s on our plates. Mark’s session wasn’t just about farming facts, it was about starting a conversation. He encouraged us to ask questions such as: How is our food grown? Who produces it? Where is it produced? What is the carbon footprint of our food? We were enlightened about the myths of sustainable farming, the production and life cycle of greenhouse gas from animals, climate change and the food supply chain from farm to supermarket.
The students were surprised to learn that a ‘career in agriculture’ doesn’t just mean being a farmer. Mark spoke about the huge range of careers linked to farming and the community supporting his own farm. He employs farm vets, crop scientists, vehicle engineers, accountants, technology experts and even foot trimmers! He also shared his own story as a farmer and the challenges of being a profitable farmer in our current climate.
One of the key messages from the session was about thinking more carefully about the choices we make around food, not to believe everything we read online, but to consider what’s involved in getting food to our plates. Mark kindly brought in farm produce for the girls to handle: wheat, barley, beans and some freshly sheared sheep wool from his flock. Mark answered some great questions from our students and by the end of the talk, we were all thinking a little more deeply about the impact of our meals and how we can support British farming in smarter, greener ways.
This educational visit from an industry we often take for granted, showed us that farming affects all of us, and the more we understand it, the better choices we can make for ourselves and the planet. Huge thanks to Mark Jeffery, our ambassador from Farmers for Schools.
Grateful thanks also goes to Debs barham for organising another inspirational and valuable learning experience for the girls.
