Press releases
HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES SOWS THE SEEDS FOR COUNTRYSIDE CAMPAIGN
HRH The Prince of Wales today re-iterated his commitment to reconnecting children to the
land, welcoming more than fifty school children as the first farmer to open his gates
to support the Year of Food and Farming.
During the morning, HRH The Prince of Wales, who has agreed to act as Patron for the Year,
and his farm manager, David Wilson, helped primary and secondary school pupils roll up
their sleeves and get involved with the daily business of Duchy Home Farm.
The students, from Oathall Community College and local Avening Primary School, learnt how
to bake bread from scratch, spent time understanding the management of Highgrove's cattle
and sheep, and tried out their cultivation skills in the vegetable fields. They saw
their efforts immediately rewarded: the loaves they cooked were presented to guests at
the official reception for the Year.
Howard Wood, teacher and manager of the school farm at Oathall Community College, commented:
"We passionately believe in the need for every child to have access to the countryside –
not just to help inform their diets, but to turn around their appetite for life in general."
"The new research from the Year of Food and Farming confirms my 35 years of experience:
contact with the countryside does more than just give children a taste for fresh air.
We work with students from all walks of life, and I've witnessed the impact that hands-on
involvement in the land and with animals can have: from inspiring children about new
careers, to giving them a sense of confidence in their own abilities."
Diana Boulton, head of local Avening Primary School which is a regular visitor to Duchy Home
Farm, added:
"Although our school has a fairly rural setting, some pupils still struggle to understand how
the countryside fits in with the everyday food they eat. We’re delighted to have taken
part in this inaugural visit, as we’ve seen at first hand the power of giving pupils
direct experiences of the countryside. This summer students picked their first crop
from our new vegetable patches – with the produce landing on their plates that same
lunchtime. The pupils were so excited to see their salads in the school canteen that
they let out a spontaneous round of applause – we knew then that we’d managed to capture
their imagination about green things on their plate!"
The campaign has been welcomed by figures from across food and farming communities, as well
as from Government, environmentalists and educationalists*.
This widespread support comes on the same day that new data is published linking agricultural
literacy to children’s appreciation of the food chain.