Theme:
- Interdependence
- Soil
- Farm Visit
Key Learning:
Soil: In the morning we had a lecture with Sammi Jones who is an Education & Engagement Officer for ‘Food for Life Scotland. She came to inform us of the work this charity does and to teach us all about the life of soil.
The charity itself was formed in 1946 by farmers, scientists and nutritionists who campaigned for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. The first activity we took part in was a quiz about soil which I done very badly in and so this highlighted my lack of knowledge in the subject. The most surprising thing I learned in the lecture was that healthy soils store more carbon than all the forests in the world and therefore help us to combat climate change. We are currently not helping this situation though as every minute we lose the equivalent of 30 football pitches of fertile soil through erosion which is linked to deforestation and excessive farming.
The charity itself was formed in 1946 by farmers, scientists and nutritionists who campaigned for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use. The first activity we took part in was a quiz about soil which I done very badly in and so this highlighted my lack of knowledge in the subject. The most surprising thing I learned in the lecture was that healthy soils store more carbon than all the forests in the world and therefore help us to combat climate change. We are currently not helping this situation though as every minute we lose the equivalent of 30 football pitches of fertile soil through erosion which is linked to deforestation and excessive farming.
Farm Visit: After lunch we visited a dairy farm in Tarbolton. Here, we were able to see how the beginning stages of some of our food/drinks are made. The one thing which really surprised me about the farm was that not one of the dairy cows had been outside a single day in its life. When you think of a farm you think of cows grazing in a field but here they were all in the one shelter where they spent all of their days. The farmer ensured us that they were all happy, healthy and well looked after though. The technology used in the farm was quite outstanding as there were machines that done everything: feeding, milking and even backscratching! The trip here sowed me how important it is to help children understand where their food comes from.
These are some pictures of the cows on the farm, a newborn calf and a cow being milked by the machine:
Impact on my views/lifestyle/practice:
I was intrigued by the life at the farm. I am still in shock that the cows do not get to roam outside at all in their lives and I actually feel quite sorry for them although we were told they had everything the needed where they were. I hope to become further aware of where my food and drink comes from in the future.
Areas of interest to explore further/develop:
I would like to further my knowledge on the types of technology that is used in farms and such places as I found it quite fascinating seeing it all in action.
