School Farms

The focus for this week's blog is 'School Farms'. School farms offer facilities within a school grounds  to students with an interest in food, farming and horticulture. Resources available to students may include land for growing, land for keeping livestock, poly tunnels, greenhouses, apiaries and access to farm machinery.

School farms, like a number of the other topics this blog has explored, have experienced an ebb and flow in popularity in the UK since the early 1900's. In 1912 there were some 2500 school farms or gardens but this declined over the decades leading to a sharp decline in the 1980's. From the early 2000's the interest was rekindled and The Schools Farm Network estimates that there are now more than 120 school farms across the UK.

But what are the benefits for students in engaging with a school farm? 

School farms can:

• Boost learning and engagement in rural studies, ecology, biodiversity, food standards and other topics such as health and safety.
• Support learning of curriculum subjects such as science and geography. 
• Teach practical skills and encourage students to take responsibility for certain animals or tasks. 
• Introduce the students to entrepreneurial routes into food and farming.
• Promote inclusivity through tasks that can be differentiated to support students with a range of learning needs.
• Offer a stepping stone to agricultural college or university.

If you would like to know more about school farms you might be interested in the School Farms Network annual conference, this year online, in July 2021 School Farms Annual Conference 2021.