Double delight for Co-op's on-farm education programme

2:58pm Thursday 13th November 2008

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The Co-operative Group has received two major awards for its ‘From Farm to Fork’ outdoor learning experience for primary schoolchildren.

The project operates at seven farms across the UK, including The Co-operative farm at Tillington, which began welcoming schools in July this year. The scheme has received recognition from two prominent food industry bodies - the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) – as well as a leading farming trade magazine.

The ‘From Farm to Fork’ project began in 2005 and has now grown into a national programme, which has benefited 10,000 primary schoolchildren to date.

At the Tillington fruit farm, children spend a day there, where they see the different apple varieties, look at grasses, learn how to tell the age of a hedgerow by looking at the leaves, and walk around the lake to see wildlife such as herons and golden carp. As well as pulling on their wellies and spending time outside, children also have the chance to create some tasty fruit smoothies, using fruit which they pick there on the day.

The IGD said the project was a worthy winner of its Unilever Social Innovation Award. The judges noted how the scheme enabled the Co-operative to actively engage with the local communities it serves by helping children connect with their food and understand where it comes from.

An award was also presented by Sir Don Curry, chair of the FDF’s Community Partnership Awards’ expert judging panel. The chairman’s award recognised the exceptional support that Co-operative Farms gave to the Year of Food and Farming and its pioneering outdoor learning experience.

Ruth Barnett, schools project leader at Tilling-ton, said: “We’ve seen how rewarding a day here at the farm is for local children, so it’s fantastic that 10,000 children across the country have benefited from spending a day on a farm. These awards are recognition of the hard work that people right across the business have put into making From Farm to Fork a success.”