Children are ‘more disconnected than ever’ from food and farming with one in 10 children believing carrots originate in a supermarket, a new survey by Jordans Cereals has revealed.
23 per cent of children aged 6-11 did not know what a harvest is and 11 per cent have never visited a farm, with almost a quarter thinking zebras, penguins, tigers, elephants and wombats are found on UK farms.
To bridge the gap Jordans Cereals, The Wildlife Trusts and Eco-Schools will host the UK’s first virtual Harvest Festival on Friday October 9 where schools will take part in a digital celebration championing nature friendly farming.
Craig Bennett, chief executive officer of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Harvest is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate food with children, to talk about where it comes from and the role that nature plays in keeping us fed.
“Harvest Festival LIVE will bring today’s children one step closer to life on a farm and open their eyes to the incredible diversity of wildlife that makes its home there.”
Hosted by JLS pop star come farmer JB Gill, the event will also include drone footage of an oat harvest on a Jordan’s farm.
Lee Wray-Davies, Eco-Schools manager, added: “We understand that schools are facing a myriad of challenges this term, and we hope that providing a virtual Harvest Festival will mean they have one less thing to worry about.
“Schools and home learners can access a range of resources and take part in an exciting poetry competition to win the chance of hearing JB Gill read their poem to the nation.”
The event will be streamed live on Jordans Cereals and The Wildlife Trusts Youtube channels at 10 am on Friday 9 October.
You can get involved by visiting www.jordanscereals.co.uk