Why not register your school for The Year of Food and Farming School Challenge? The scheme, which is open to all schools in England, is being run by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. To take part, schools must organise a project, or projects, which lead to the realisation of one or more of the aims of the Year of Food and Farming. The closing date for schools to register their projects is 31 December 2007.

To register a project, download an application form from www.schoolsnetwork.org.uk by clicking on specialism and then rural. Alternatively email [email protected] to request a form.

Further details about the School Challenge can be found on the Year of Food and Farming website.

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The RSPCA has produced five exciting new GCSE Science farming resources that explore the impact of farming on farm animal welfare. The resources support students in learning where food comes from, the use of labelling, and how they, as consumers, can make a difference to farm animal welfare. For further details visit the RSPCA’s website.

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Schools have been telling us about some of the projects that they have set up as part of the Year of Food and Farming. Here’s a couple:

Southgate School

Southgate School is a large secondary school of 1600 pupils, in Cockfosters, North London. They have been working towards Eco School Status and this year hope to meet all the criteria to gain their Green Flag. Their current project is to set up a vegetable garden where pupils will use the produce in Food Technology lessons and sell it at local farmers’ markets. They have a large established Wildlife area and have also just received funding to install solar panels into the school roof.

Lothingland Middle School

Lothingland Middle School has 450 students and is set in beautiful rural surroundings close to Lowestoft, Suffolk. They are members of the 'Healthy Schools Suffolk' scheme and grow their own vegetables in their Kitchen Garden for use at School. Members of the School Gardening Club are posting regular blogs about gardening on the Year of Food and Farming website.

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A full stomach aids learning

Research undertaken by the School Food Trust has found robust evidence to support the idea that children are more attentive in afternoon classes when they have eaten well at lunchtime. Findings from the School Lunch and Behaviour Study show a clear link between changes in lunchtime food provision and dining environment and children's behaviour in the classroom. Indeed, the study found that children from the intervention schools were 3½ times more likely to be on task and engaged with the teacher with learning activities in the hour after lunch than those children in the control schools.
Source: School Food Trust website, 3/12/07

To read the full report, visit the School Food Trust website.

The great organic food debate

Last year demand for organic food rose by 22% as Britons spent £37 million each week on organic produce. However, experts still disagree about the merits or otherwise of organic food compared to conventionally farmed produce.

A recent study by Newcastle University found that organic food contains more nutrients and less of the undesirable compounds than ordinary produce. Fruit, vegetables and cattle were produced on adjacent organic and non-organic sites and it was found that the organic fruit and vegetables contained up to 40% more antioxidants than the non-organic varieties. In addition, the levels of antioxidants in organic milk were between 50% and 80% higher than ordinary milk. High levels of minerals such as iron and zinc were also found in the organic food. Further results of this study are due to be published over the next 12 months. The FSA is also due to publish a report evaluating the nutrient value of organic food next year but until then its advice remains that there is not enough conclusive evidence to support the view that organic food is nutritionally superior.

Doubt has also been cast on claims that organic food production causes less damage to the environment. A report by Manchester Business School, for instance, found that the environmental benefits of organic food were not clear cut, that there is no clear evidence to support the view that locally sourced produce is more environmentally friendly than globally sourced produce and that, indeed, for some foods, global sourcing may be a better alternative environmentally. Similarly, a recent report by Nottingham University found that the carbon footprint of organic systems is actually significantly higher than conventional farming as organic weed control, it was discovered, uses almost double the amount of energy required in conventional production systems.
Sources: Soil Association, 30/10/07; BBC website, 29/10/07; Times Online 1/9/07; Farmers Weekly Interactive website 19/2/07 & 5/11/07; Farmers Guardian 8/11/07

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The following three lesson ideas provide practical suggestions for incorporating seasonal Christmas food into the curriculum.

  • Students could use the internet to find a number of healthy, balanced recipes for a Christmas lunch menu. They could then choose one of the dishes to cook as part of a D&T Food technology lesson.
  • Alternatively, students could suggest a range of food items to include in a ‘healthy Christmas hamper’. Within this activity students could even create two different hampers – one containing all locally sourced produce, and another including foods sourced from around the world.
  • As an extension to the ‘healthy Christmas hampers’ activity, the students could consider the challenges of setting up and running a company to market their hampers, as part of a Business Studies topic.

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