As part of its commitment to educating people of all ages about where our food comes from, Drewton’s Farm Shop near South Cave this week played host to a party of students from Headlands School in Bridlington, who were accompanied by exchange students from Sibelius High School in Cape Town, South Africa.
Proprietor Katie Taylor gave her visitors an insight into the roles of the different departments within Drewton’s Farm Shop and the way that food, drink, gifts and other items on sale are sourced from a network of more than 250 Yorkshire-based farmers, growers, suppliers and craftspeople. The visit was organised by Discovering Our Countryside and is a joint venture with East Yorkshire Local Food Network members. It forms part of a project about discovering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) links in the local food chain project. The aim is to help teachers make links with local farms and food producers, and incorporate this in their teaching. It ties in with the new GCSE qualification in food preparation and nutrition, which covers food provenance, sustainability, food security and GM crops.
Katie said: “Earlier in the day, our visitors had been to a farm where cattle are reared for beef and chickens produce eggs so that they could see the first step in the process of food production. When they came here, I explained how we work with farmers and growers to make their fresh, local produce available to the public so that they could see the next stage in the journey that our food makes from farm to fork. Five of the students were from Headlands School and the rest of the group were exchange students from its partner school in South Africa.
“I think this is a wonderful initiative that will really help our young people to understand and connect with the countryside and agriculture, and, hopefully, help them to make informed decisions about the food they choose to buy as they get older. I was especially impressed to learn that Headlands School raised money to fund this cultural exchange, making it possible for students from South Africa to visit East Yorkshire. If they hadn’t done so, the cost would have prevented these students from taking part in an exchange visit. What a wonderful opportunity for both sets of students!”
Sarah Bone of Headlands School said: “Working in true partnership with local businesses, this is an amazing opportunity for our students to have their horizons broadened, and their knowledge and understanding of the commercial business aspects of farming, food and drink enhanced. In addition, it’s a unique opportunity for children from our partner school in South Africa to create brilliant memories of life and work in the East Riding of Yorkshire – truly putting us on the global map! Thanks again to everyone for making this happen for our students.”
She added: “Our whole school has been fundraising tirelessly for the last year in order for 12 of our students to go over to Sibelius High in Cape Town to bring 12 of their students over to Bridlington, and also to develop their facilities within the school, including their toilets and media facilities. So far, we have raised around £25,000 that will be used as part of The Great Bridlington Cultural Exchange.”