Yahoo Lifestyle Project linking farmers and schools expanding
A scheme in which farmers make video calls into school lessons to get children interested in farming and rural affairs is hoping to expand.
Farmer Time was recently awarded charitable status.
About 25,000 children from 1,000 schools are taking part in the scheme.
Tom Martin, who farms in Haddon near Peterborough, set up the project in 2017 and said schoolchildren were "fascinated" to hear directly from farmers.
The farmers make 10 to 15 minute video calls to a class every two or three weeks, which fit in with what the pupils are studying.
The aim is to bring learning to life and excite the children about farming and rural life for Key Stages 2 to 5.
"In our pockets we've pretty much all got smartphones, and we can use that technology instead of bringing the classroom to the farm to bring the farm right into the classroom."
'Absolutely riveted'
"The children see the seasonal changes: lambs being born, crops being planted and harvested," Mr Martin said.
He said becoming a charity enabled them to add trustees, business and educational experts including Dr John Viney and Dr Kirstie McAdoo.
Farmer Time aims to expand, Mr Martin said: "We want more farmers and more teachers to be involved."
"It's not just biology or basics of science, we can get into genetics, we can talk about maths, we touch on history a little bit but really it's all focussing around that farming year."
He said the agricultural drop-ins were very popular with children. "They're not interested, they're fascinated. We never have problems with attention. They're absolutely riveted."
