PICTURES: Farming event shows Caithness schoolchildren where their food comes from
Primary school pupils from Thurso, Wick and Dunbeath got some hands-on experience of agriculture at an educational event in Caithness Livestock Centre this week.
Around 130 children took part in the Food and Farming Day organised by the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), a charity that teaches about food, farming and the countryside.
RHET volunteers welcomed youngsters from Mount Pleasant, Pennyland, Noss and Dunbeath.
While it was essentially a fun event, the pupils were given important information about food and how it is produced. They were able to learn about traceability, tagging, record-keeping and sheep-handling.
They took part in a mock auction, putting their hands up to place bids, and were shown a calving simulator and a fibreglass dairy cow.
A team from Puldagon farm shop and restaurant cooked burgers in a “farm to fork” demonstration, while Carol Gunn and Nicola Macleod explained honey production.
Caithness RHET representative Willie Budge said Monday’s event had been a great success.
He became a director of RHET Highland in 2020, having been involved in the organisation for about 10 years prior to that, organising classroom talks and farm visits.
“We do sheep, beef, cereals, pollination/bees and dairy,” Willie said. “This year we also had ‘farm to fork’ with Puldagon and that was a new thing.
“It was a great success, and I am always thankful to the people who give up their time to help. The kids loved it.
“We had really good feedback about Puldagon and the honey section.”
The RHET volunteers were also grateful to Andrew Sinclair, of Clachan, Mid-Clyth, who had celebrated his 60th birthday on Saturday and raised £300 for the charity. Guests attending the birthday party were asked to make a small donation towards RHET.
The donation will pay for an early years box. These contain agricultural-related resources such as books, puppets, toys and costumes and can be booked for nurseries and P1 or P2 classes.
“We’ve got one already but it’s booked out until the end of February, and that’s only going to schools for two weeks at a time,” Willie said.
“A lot of people give money to charity and think it just goes down the road. It was nice to be able to say we’ll get this box and it’ll be for Caithness schools.
“It was really good of them to think of us.”
The Food and Farming Day is held annually at the Quoybrae mart and all local primaries have an opportunity to attend.
“It’s a three-year rotation – the schools will get a chance every three years, basically,” Willie explained.
“What we’re really trying to get across is where their food comes from.
“To be fair, there was a pretty decent level of knowledge from the kids and hopefully we’re trying to enhance that.
“It’s quite nice when you hear teachers and parent helpers saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t realise that.’ I think they get a bit out of it as well, not just the kids.
“We’re giving the whole story, hopefully.”
The Gunn family from Whitefield, Wick, provided two yearling heifers that were bucket-reared, allowing children to get up close.
“These two were really friendly and keen to see the kids, so that worked really well,” Willie said.
“The whole day was good. The kids enjoy it, and all the speakers enjoy it too. They were all more or less saying they are keen to come back next year.”
