It is becoming increasingly important that we give people in the county the opportunity to discover what agriculture is all about. Agricultural education was one of the main aims of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society when it was formed in 1869.

In 1988 the Society established a Farm Lincs Committee specifically tasked with ‘assisting in the development of the county’s agricultural industry and its countryside’. Projects undertaken since then include the part-funding of a lecturer’s post at Bishop Burton College to develop teachers’ knowledge of the countryside and more recently the launch of a brand new area called the Lincolnshire Show Discovery Zone. This area is located off 10th Avenue and is the centre for schools and families wanting to find out more about food, farming, conservation and the environment.

The Farm Lincs Committee are also working hard to promote the inclusion of agriculture-related subjects into the National Curriculum. The committee is working with the Lincolnshire and Rutland Education Business Partnership to host teacher training days to provide teachers with an opportunity to visit the Lincolnshire Show and find out more about food, farming and horticulture in the National Curriculum.

The Lincolnshire Show Schools Challenge

In 1991 the Farm Lincs Committee decided to run an annual competition to coincide with the Lincolnshire Show called the Lincolnshire Show Schools Challenge. The competition has become extremely popular and every year an increasing number of schools take part. The aim is to teach primary and secondary school children about agriculture by giving them a project to complete which combines industry with the countryside.

Schools choose from a range of different challenges and spend time working on their selected project in the months preceding the show. In June the school party travels to the Lincolnshire Show where they have their own stand to display their work in the Discovery Zone. The entries are then judged and prizes are awarded to the winning schools.

2008 Schools' Challenge

• Design a Healthy School Dinner
• Improve my School Grounds
• Flooding in Lincolnshire
• Design from Nature
• Life in LIncolnshire Years Ago
• Advertising the Lincolnshire Show
• Design Farm Security 
• The Farmacy Potato Challenge

All schools that enter will receive up to 15 tickets to the Lincolnshire Show and £120 to cover the costs entailed in attending the Show on 18th and 19th June 2008. In addition each school will be allocated an adviser from the Lincolnshire Womens' Farming Union (WFU) who will be able to offer support and guidance. Click on the links at the side to download guidance notes and a registration form.

There will be secondary and primary winners awarded.

For further information please contact:

Phillip Everett - Lincolnshire & Rutland EBP

Tel: 01522 574134

Email: phillip.everett@eblo.org.uk

2007 School's Challenge Results -

Secondary - Kesteven and Sleaford High School

Primary - Scampton Primary School

Overall - Kesteven and Sleaford High School

2006 Schools' Challenge Results -

The winners were:

The Lincolnshire Show Discovery Zone

In the Discovery Zone visitors to the annual Lincolnshire Show can find out how to prepare a cow for show, learn about ferrets and ferreting, discover Lincolnshire Longwool sheep and take part in a craft activity with Lincolnshire Heritage.

The Discovery Zone also hosts the Lincolnshire Show Schools Challenge. Challenges schools have faced in the past include ‘Design a Healthy School Dinner’, the ‘Potato Challenge’ and ‘Design a Tractor’. If you are coming to the show it is definitely worth having a look; the pupils will be only too pleased to explain their project to you.

Special guests who have visited the Discovery Zone include TV presenter Johnny Ball who provided exciting, entertaining and interactive talks for teachers and pupils as well as assisting with the judging of the schools challenge competition, and Sir Isaac Newton (played by David Hall) who gave fascinating and engaging talks for children on his life and works.

Organisations who have manned stands in the Discovery Zone in the past include Lincolnshire Young Farmers, Lincolnshire South Girl Guides, Stickney Farm Park, the University of Lincoln and FACE (Farm and Countryside Education).

The zone also features a Discovery Ring which hosts a variety of events such as the Lincolnshire Young Farmers Tug of War and demonstrations by the likes of the Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust, the Weirfield Wildlife Hospital and Heritage Lincolnshire.

For more information on the Discovery Zone and opportunities for schools and families at the Lincolnshire Show please call 01522 522900.

LEAEP

In partnership with the University of Lincoln’s Riseholme Park campus the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society has set up a brand new education programme known as the Lincolnshire Environmental and Agricultural Education Project (LEAEP). It is an exciting and innovative venture, focusing on the study of food, farming, the environment and conservation in schools, colleges and universities throughout the county. It will also focus on lifelong learning through work with community groups and families.

The project consists of the following components:

• Citizenship and science site visits – visitors are invited to debate citizenship and science issues such as the building of houses on agricultural land or the impact of EU legislation on British farmers
• Talks for school groups and school events – groups are invited to listen to talks by agricultural firms, farmers and conservation groups
• Family events - weekend events at the showground enabling families to learn about conservation through hands-on learning
• Adult Education - working to promote adult learning in the areas of food, farming, the environment and conservation
• Agricultural careers fairs - For young people and adults to find out about careers in the land-based sector
• Agricultural Resource Centre - housing quality agricultural resources for educational and community groups to access at no cost
• The Lincolnshire Show Schools' Challenge - a popular and long-running competition hosted by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society and judged at the Lincolnshire Show
• The Lincolnshire Show Discovery Zone - an exciting area of education and discovery at the Lincolnshire Show
• Linc Farms - A network of farms throughout Lincolnshire which are open for schools and community groups to visit and really experience the great outdoors.

The Linc Farms Project

The former High Sheriff of Lincolnshire, Charles Welby, established a farming education trust in association with the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society’s Farm Lincs Committee and Lincolnshire County Council called the Linc Farms project.

Linc Farms forms part of the Lincolnshire Environmental and Agricultural Education Project (LEAEP) and consists of a network of farms across Lincolnshire that are open for schools and community groups to visit. Visits from disadvantaged groups are actively encouraged and financial support is available.

The project’s aim is to give people an insight into the farming world so that they gain a better understanding of food production, sustainable land use and healthier lifestyles via hands-on learning experiences. Activities include animal husbandry, picking vegetables, pond dipping, mini-beast hunts, learning about farm management, sampling techniques and much more. Residential visits are also available at some farms.

We are still looking for more farms to join the network: small or large, arable or livestock, organic or conventional. If you are keen to pass on your enthusiasm for farming please contact the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society on 01522 522900 or 524240.