Case Study : Farm to Fork Project - Douglas and Angus Estates
Douglas & Angus Estates and the Co-op Group are running an initiative in the Borders entitled "Farm to Fork". The intention is to try to give primary schoolchildren an insight into how their food is produced and the role of the various people who are involved in the production chain of good quality food.
Initially school classes visit their local "Co-op" and see the various staple foods on the shop shelve. They then enjoy a day trip to Douglas & Angus Estates "Hirsel" Estate at Coldstream. The Estates semi retired farm manager Alan Telford and Sally Fleming who is employed by the Co-op host the visits. The Estate has a converted building which is designed comfortably to accommodate a full class of up to forty pupils. There is a specially designed kitchen which is used to demonstrate the cooking and preparation of food from their raw ingredients and a display of all "things agricultural".
A power point presentation provides the children with the basic information about the Estate, describes the crops grown on the farm and their relevance in the food chain.
The pupils divide into two groups .One group go on a walk with Alan and learn to identify the seeds of various crops (wheat, barley, rye, oats, potatoes).They are then shown those crops actually growing in one acre plots of land nearby, so that the children can see the whole growing process and are able to distinguish them from each other.
During the walk Alan also shows the children trees, fruits, seeds and berries, teaches them tree identification, how to age a tree and focuses on the nature of the Estate and environment around them. The Fold of Highland Cattle is probably the highlight of the walk and the inspection of the cows with their lovely hairy offspring delights both the children and Alan!
Sally meanwhile shows the second group how the harvested crops and other farm produce are processed into what they have seen on the shelves of their local "Co-op".
She gets the children to use some of the produce in the special kitchen where they prepare and cook something which they take home after the visit. Wheat is ground into flour and bread is made, apples go into tarts and scones are produced. After a snack lunch the groups swap over so that they all experience the full production cycle.
Schools visit the Estate from all over South East Scotland & Northern England often with several visits per week, particularly in September/October & again in June/July, at the beginning and end of the crop cycle. Feedback from teachers, parents and especially pupils is always very positive and enthusiastic.
Both the Douglas-Home family and the Co-op are very keen to develop the project in the hopes that in due course it may extend to others, rather than being restricted solely to schools.
