Northmoor Trust

Kids on Farms

The Northmoor Trust has recently taken on the running of ‘Oxfordshire Kids on Farms’, and is very excited to be involved in this initiative.

The Trust has a proven record in delivering outdoor education. It is proposing to expand the project to give more young people the opportunity to visit farms in order to raise their awareness about the role and relevance of farming in our everyday lives; its relationship to the food we eat, the places in which we live and our natural environment.

Why do schools support ‘Oxfordshire Kids on Farms’?
The nature of modern lifestyles means that children are often insulated from the practical reality of where their food comes from, this links to a disconnection between people and their local environment. There is a need for young people to see how individual behaviour (e.g. food purchasing) counts, and has an influence on global issues such as climate change and food miles.

The ‘Oxfordshire Kids on Farms’ initiative provides teachers with a safe and well planned mechanism to enable them to take their classes out onto their local farms, to give young people first hand experience of how food is grown and brought to them, and to provide them with opportunities to get practically involved.

We want to give young people, from all parts of our community, an insight into how the choices they make can contribute to the way in which farms will play a positive part in the development of future landscapes.

How does the project work?
The project supports a Project Officer, working on a part-time basis, within the structure of the Northmoor Trust. The Project Officer works with schools and farmers to tailor-make programmes of work, which she then delivers.
The idea is to link schools with a farm close to their school.

Where does funding come from?
The main income for the project comes from grants.
An element of the costs are covered by charging schools for the services provided, although these are kept to a minimum as we want to keep an all inclusive service. Schools are able to apply for a discount or a free service, if economic or social reasons mean that they cannot afford to make a contribution. In this case the visit is fully covered by grants.

How is ‘Oxfordshire Kids on Farms’ Managed?
The project managed by the Northmoor Trust, is supported by a steering group made up of leading members of the farming community, representatives from environmental organizations e.g. FWAG and local educationalists.