CHILDREN from across the area learnt how food goes from the field to the fork in an educational day with MP Marcus Fysh.

Pupils from seven primary schools took part in the day at Frogmary Green Farm in South Petherton last week, which was organised as part of the Field To Fork programme.

The scheme was launched two years ago as part of Somerset County Council's School Meals Strategy, to help educate children on where their food comes from and to help them connect with the food they are eating, both at home and at school.

During the day at the farm, the children and their teachers had the opportunity to see how chickens are raised, animals are fed, livestock is managed, how crops are sown and cropped and all the machinery that used in the process of farming food.

They were also able to see at close hand the new Anaerobic Digestor and energy production plant that is now installed and operational.

The farm is owned and managed by Nick and Claire Bragg, with a 30-strong team of volunteers who help keep the farm running on a day-to-day basis.

The day was hosted by Nick and Claire Bragg from the farm and as well as South Somerset MP Marcus Fysh, Cllr Christopher Le Hardy, cabinet member for corporate improvement. was also in attendance.

Mr Fysh said “I am so pleased to see how this project has grown here in my constituency and the positive effect it continues to have on our children’s health and well-being."

Cllr Le Hardy added: “The reason I have supported this project from the Health and Well Being fund at Somerset County Council for the past couple of years is that I believe it is so important for children to understand where the food they eat is grown and how important it is to eat healthily."

Children from Hinton St George, Neroche, St Barts, South Petherton Infants and Juniors, Kingsbury Episcopi and Ash School all attended the day.

The main aims of the Field to Fork Project are to enable children and young people to connect the food they eat with good understanding of growing, farming and food production, to offer schools and targeted groups the opportunity to experience growing for cooking activities within a farm setting, to develop cooking in the curriculum and health education training days for teachers, to offer a model of good-practice for all ages across the wider community that can impact on PH priorities – Healthy Weight, Emotional Health and Wellbeing, Mental Health, Increased physical activity and increased access to the outdoors.