Essex Schools Food and Farming Day a real triumph
It was a real privilege to take part in the inaugural Essex Schools Food and Farming Day at Writtle College last Thursday. The weather did its best to dampen enthusiasm but the 3000 children and 250 farmer volunteer farmers taking part were having none of it. The event was a joint venture by a coalition of organisations led by Essex Agricultural Society and the NFU county branch, with support from Essex County Council. Split into 4 separate zones to give children a wide experience of food, countryside, technology and farming primarily through hands-on activities, the day was extremely well organised, well attended and well worth it! The feedback from children and teachers has been excellent (despite the monsoon!) and congratulations are deservedly due to the team behind it, led by Jim McCauley and Guy Smith. It was a fantastic example of what people can do when they come together and I sincerely hope that all involved will see it as a venture worth repeating in future years.