The education branch of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has taken 60 urban secondary school children to Cereals 2024 in Hertfordshire .
The aim of the trip was to promote diversity and inclusivity in the agricultural industry and for the students to gain valuable insights into the latest advancements in farming.
NFU Education also hoped that the students would explore opportunities within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers at the event, which took place June 11 and 12.
NFU Farmers for Schools ambassadors took the students on a ‘scavenger hunt’ of the site to explore the latest advancements in the world of arable farming as well as hands on STEM workshops led by Rothamsted Research, Omya and the NFU Education team.
NFU vice president Rachel Hallos said: “The vast majority of pupils who attend urban schools have never been on a farm and don’t know much about agriculture.
“Inviting students to the Cereals event is a fantastic way of opening up our exciting industry to young people from non-farming backgrounds and shine a spotlight on what we do, day in – day out, to provide food for the nation and our work in caring for the environment.”
“I believe in making farming fun and interesting for youngsters so as they get older, they can start to appreciate what the countryside and rural areas can offer.”
Hallos said it is “incredibly exciting” to again bring a group of students to Cereals to showcase the range of STEM careers available within the industry and hopefully inspire the next generation.
Cereals took place at Bygrave Woods, Newnham Farm, and is a technical event for the UK arable industry.
Over 18,000 farmers, agronomists and other industry professionals visit Cereals each year to discover the latest arable innovations, hear from opinion leaders and find the best arable products and services to help grow their businesses.
