Farmers post online videos to help with #LockdownLearning

Parents now faced with home schooling their children in lockdown will no doubt be grateful for the rising number of farmers who are posting educational videos online.

The Farmer Time initiative, which was launched by farmer Tom Martin and co-ordinated by LEAF Education, is continuing for many schoolchildren, despite the lockdown, according to sponsor Strutt & Parker.

Farmer Time involves pairing farmers with classes in schools for a series of calls, through Skype or FaceTime, throughout the year. Students have the opportunity to ask questions and see what happens on the other side of the farm gate. Teachers can even link real-life examples from the countryside with the National Curriculum.

With UK schools closed to all but vulnerable children and those of key workers, many of these regular calls were disrupted. But many pairings are continuing, with farmers providing schools with fun and fascinating videos of farm activities, including lambing, which can then be shared with students who are being home schooled.

Some live sessions are also continuing for those children who remain in the classroom. Children at one school that is paired with a dairy farm have been able to name a calf and continue to track its progress in each call, plotting her growth on a graph.

The project currently has more than 570 established pairings between schools and farms.

Meanwhile, farmers across the country are increasingly making their own videos about life on the farm, to share with those who are trapped indoors, unable to enjoy open spaces.

Farmer’s wife and teacher Donna Ashlee posted a video for Castle Hill Community Primary School, as they missed seeing a live lamb birth in their Farmer Time sessions.

Cambridgeshire-based farmer Luke posted a video of himself showing how potatoes are planted.

Arable farmer Lisa Edwards describes the value of uses for oilseed rape.

Arable farmer Andrew Ward’s latest video post shows a newly-arrived family of Canada geese at his pond.

The latest video from Foxes Farm Produce is aimed at toddlers, helping them to learn their colours on the farm.