Natural England

Natural England has recently pledged its support for the Year of Food and Farming.

The Year starts in September 2007 and aims to re-capture children’s imagination about food and how it is produced.

Natural England will be supporting local and regional activities, including farm visits and walks for children and young people, and encouraging the Educational Access agreement holders to take part, training farmers to host visits and become accredited through the Countryside Education Visits Accreditation Service (CEVAS), as well as contributing to curriculum materials to help children to learn about farming, food and the natural environment.

During the Year, children will have the opportunity to:

• follow the story from 'field to fork'
• explore the importance of food
• make informed decisions about food and healthy nutrition
• watch what happens on a real-life farm
• experience what the countryside can offer
• learn more about environmental issues linked to food and the countryside.

The year runs until July 2008.

For more information about how Natural England is supporting the Year, contact Satpal Kang on 01902 693189. For further details about the Year, see the Year of Food and Farming website.