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Countryside Days inspires next generation at Great Yorkshire Showground

Friday, 14 June 2024 09:00

Children from Oatlands Primary school

Meeting goats, building drystone walls and spectacular birds of prey displays gave thousands of schoolchildren their first experiences of farming at the Great Yorkshire Showground this week.

Primary school children from across Yorkshire tried hands-on activities and watched entertaining, educational demonstrations and displays at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s (YAS) annual Countryside Days event.

Free for school groups, the two-day showcase of the countryside is delivered by YAS, a farming charity that aims to inspire the next generation about all things farming, food and the countryside.

Allister Nixon, CEO of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society said:

“Countryside Days is a fantastic way to engage children from all backgrounds in where their food comes from and how the countryside is carefully managed.Some of our young visitors have never seen livestock before, and it is fantastically rewarding to see their faces light up on seeing a sheep for the first time.

He added,

“I hope that all our visiting school groups leave the Great Yorkshire Showground knowing something they didn’t know before about farming, food and the countryside.”

Schoolchildren were also introduced to reptiles, arachnids, ferrets and hatching chicks.

They got to try their hands at a variety of crafts and countryside pursuits.

A grain story workshop explained how crops were planted, harvested and processed to produce everyday food items, such as bread and cereal. Butter and sausage-making masterclasses also gave children the chance to learn more about dairy and pork.

Countryside Days is one of the educational activities hosted by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society will welcome back school groups to the Great Yorkshire Showground at next month’s 165th Great Yorkshire Show which takes place from Tuesday 9th July to Friday 12th July.

For more details about the Great Yorkshire Show, including discounted school group bookings click here.

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