Future Countryside praises new partnership providing farming and countryside experiences for more than 1,000 pupils

Future Countryside has praised a new partnership between The Crown Estate and The Country Trust, that will offer children from primary schools in areas of social and economic disadvantage a taste of life on a working farm and access to the countryside.

The Crown Estate, which manages more than 185,000 acres of rural land, will work with The Country Trust to offer more than 40 farm visits this year to working farms across the country to enable more children to learn about nature, the countryside and food production.

Typical activities for a farm visit include sowing seeds, harvesting vegetables, seeing and learning about animals and helping to feed them where possible, and learning about and cooking fresh produce, including making butter and flour. 

Schools taking part have a higher-than-average percentage of children eligible for Free School Meals, aligning with The Country Trust’s mission to support children who face additional barriers to build confidence and develop curiosity about where food comes from and how it is grown. 

The programme follows a successful pilot which saw 180 pupils from four schools take part in farm days in Shropshire, Essex and Lincolnshire.  

Sarah Lee, Future Countryside, said:

"This scheme is a great opportunity for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to experience the countryside and gain a better understanding of rural life and agriculture. 

"Future Countryside 2025 will be exploring Gen Z's relationship with the countryside, as part of our ongoing work to establish the countryside's role with the next generation and examine how young people can be more involved with and understanding of rural affairs.

"It's fantastic to hear of the this partnership between The Country Trust and The Crown Estate, and we look forward to the benefits it will bring to disadvantaged children.

"We are excited to see more youth rural engagement schemes being created, and we would encourage all those with an interest in the area to get involved by joining our livestream of Future Countryside 2025."

You can sign up for the Future Countryside 2025 livestream here.

Commenting on the partnership, Paul Sedgwick, MD for Rural at The Crown Estate, said: “We are passionate about the land we manage and get to see firsthand the benefits that connections with nature, the environment and fresh food can bring to individuals and communities.  

“We are proud to be able to work with our farmers and The Country Trust to help around 1000 children from disadvantaged areas to experience first-hand the joy of getting their hands in the soil; picking and cooking fresh vegetables; and feeding and caring for animals. 

“I would like to thank our tenant farmers and our managing agents Savills and Carter Jonas, along with all at The Country Trust who have worked so hard to manage a successful pilot and turn this into a full programme of activity.” 

Jill Attenborough, Chief Executive of The Country Trust, said: “At The Country Trust we believe that potential is equally distributed but opportunity is not. Through food, farming and countryside experiences we aim to empower disadvantaged children to be confident, curious and create change in their lives and the world around them so that they and society thrive. 

“It’s only by working with funders, landowners, farmers and schools that we’re able to make these 
experiences happen, and we are grateful to all those who have volunteered their time and resources 
to make this a reality.”   

The Country Trust is a national education charity dedicated to bringing alive the working countryside for children least able to access it. It works with landowners, farms and primary schools to arrange farm discovery visits to help children make the connection between the countryside, farming and the food they eat.

Schools interested in participating can find out more here.