Why Farming Matters

Classroom Posters

These brand new posters are available to download. Read more...

"What's in season?" presents a chart showing an A-Z of British fruits and vegetables available in shops during the year. Read more...

"A year on the farm" takes a look at some typical farming activities during the seasons. Read more...

Water use

Refers to page 13 in the booklet Read more...

This activity offers an opportunity for children to think about their own water usage, to look at how water is used at home and in school and to compare it with water use on the farm. Read more...

Farmers use water for: Read more...

Irrigating (watering) their crops, providing drinking water for their animals, cleaning farmyards and the buildings where animals are housed and cleaning machinery, plus all the more familiar uses of water for humans such as drinking, washing and cooking. Farmers try to save water by using methods such as rainwater harvesting – collecting rainwater from the roofs of buildings just like we can do by using water butts. Read more...

Water use can be quite a complicated issue and it would be useful to ask a farmer to talk to the class about this. Read more...

Hedge/pond for sale

Refers to page 13 in the booklet Read more...

The activity asks pupils to think more deeply about their local area and gives them the opportunity to consider what different people might look for in a home. They then have the chance to do the same thing but in the guise of an animal. An opportunity here for persuasive writing! Read more...

Teachers might find it useful to obtain in advance examples of property sales advertisements either from a local estate agent, newspapers or printed from the web. Read more...

Fruity diaries

Refers to page 11 in the booklet Read more...

This activity would benefit from some initial research by the pupils into a fruit of their choice. Try to have a wide range of fruits in the class. An interesting wall display might result. Read more...

Watch the video about strawberry farming. Read more...

If possible, arrange for pupils to visit a fruit farm, a farmers' market or greengrocer. Read more...

Further resources from the web:

A number of tasks for evaluating food Read more...

Fruit and vegetable picture quiz Read more...

Apples Fact Sheet - a resource for children to find out more about apples Read more...

A brief history of apples in the UK Read more...

Explanation of apple varieties Read more...

Postcards from vegetables

Refers to page 11 in booklet Read more...

This activity provides an opportunity to discuss vegetables in detail. Which do children like/dislike? Can they identify them? The activity will benefit from research about the vegetables chosen by the children. Read more...

You might like to visit a farm which grows vegetables or ask a farmer or greengrocer to bring in samples to school. Read more...

Further resources from the web:

PowerPoint of photos of fruit and vegetables Read more...

Name the vegetables activity sheet Read more...

Read 'The Forgotten Celery', an entry into the BBC's 500 Words competition Read more...

Drama, drought and deluge

Refers to page 11 in the booklet Read more...

This activity requires some knowledge of the farm environment and so might be a good follow up activity to a farm visit. Read more...

Some sample answers: Read more...

Read more...	Summer drought Read more...	Winter gale Read more...	Torrential rain Read more...
Trees Read more...	Lose leaves early Read more... Wilt Read more... Leaves scorched Read more... Affects long-term growth Read more...	Bend Read more... Lose weak branches Read more... Some topple Read more... Impact of falling e.g. on roads Read more...	Enjoy extra water Read more... Can become waterlogged Read more...
Wheat Read more...	Low yields Read more... Poor quality Read more... But scientists developing drought tolerant species Read more...	Low yields Read more... Poor quality Read more... Read more...	Low yields Read more... Poor quality Read more... If near harvest, grain may need drying – extra cost and higher food prices Read more...
Hedges Read more...	Lose leaves Read more... Leaves scorched Read more... Impact on shelter for birds and mammals later in the year Read more...	Can stand strong and provide much needed shelter for birds, mammals and livestock (sheep and cattle) Read more...	Can stand strong and provide much needed shelter for birds, mammals and livestock (sheep and cattle) Read more...
Butterflies Read more...	Fewer numbers Read more...	Threat of injury or death Read more... Need to shelter, hide under leaves etc. Read more...	Threat of injury or death Read more... Need to shelter, hide under leaves etc. Read more...
Birds Read more...	Fewer insects and fish to feed birds Read more... Fail to breed Read more... Migrate early Read more...	Small birds suffer from hypothermia (pockets of air under feathers become filled with water) Read more...	Nests and breeding grounds destroyed Read more...
Cattle Read more...	Smaller, fewer, thinner as less grass available Read more... Farmer needs to use winter feed stocks so increase in food prices Read more...	Cattle need more energy to stay warm Read more... More cattle feed required, so increases in costs Read more...	Dampness can increase risk of spread of disease Read more...
Stream Read more...	Drying up Read more... Impact on environment – fewer fish and water borne insects to feed birds etc Read more...	Flooding can contaminate fresh water supplies Read more... Damage to fields Read more...	Flooding Read more...

Farming maths

Refers to page 22 in the booklet Read more...

Maths is everywhere! Use farming as a vehicle for pupils to practise their maths skills Read more...

Who provides our food?

Refers to page 21 in the booklet Read more...

This activity offers the chance to find out how many people are involved in our food from farm to fork. Children are often unfamiliar with where their food originates, seeing it only in the supermarket or the local shop before it comes into the home.
Read more...

Once again, this activity would benefit from input from a farmer or local grower. Invite them into school to talk to the pupils about what happens to the products they grow. In particular, ask them how many people are involved in getting the food from the farm to the supermarket. Photos or drawings of all those involved would make an interesting and thought provoking display. Read more...

Have we always eaten the same food?

Refers to page 21 in the booklet Read more...

This activity looks at the history of our food and offers the opportunity to involve parents and grandparents in talking about the foods they ate as children. Read more...