Man with food….. The UK is now in the comfortable position of food security. This situation has given us the luxury of having certain expectations of our food but these can have an effect on the environment. Which of these should we be concerned about and what can we do about them? This section is
[... go to post ]
The Milk Food Story A stand alone food story or part of our “Is 5 A Day Killing the Planet? teaching theme – available for FREE on our Teach.Discovering-Our-Countrysie VLE – go to FREE course now The Milk Food Story features the following videos viewable in video slider above – just use use arrows at side
[... go to post ]The Fruit and Vegetable Fresh Produce Food Story A stand alone food story or part of our “Is 5 A Day Killing the Planet? teaching theme – available for FREE on our Teach.Discovering-Our-Countrysie VLE – go to FREE course now The Fruit and Vegetables Fresh Produce Food Story features the following videos viewable in video slider above
[... go to post ]The Beef Food Story [videogallery id=”BeefStory”] This is the second of four food stories based around the Eat Well Guide. Beef – for the beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat section. Cereals – for carbohydrates and starchy foods section Fresh Veg – for the fruit and veg section Coming soon…. Dairy – for the dairy products
[... go to post ]The Cereal Food Story A stand alone food story or part of our “Is 5 A Day Killing the Planet? teaching theme – available for FREE on our Teach.Discovering-Our-Countrysie VLE – go to FREE course now The Cereal Food Story features the following videos viewable in video slider above – just use use arrows at side
[... go to post ]The Beef Food Story A stand alone food story or part of our “Is 5 A Day Killing the Planet? teaching theme – available for FREE on our Teach.Discovering-Our-Countrysie VLE – go to FREE course now The Beef Food Story features the following videos viewable in video slider above – just use use arrows at side
[... go to post ]
As a technology teacher you will be familiar with the “Eat Well Plate – now Guide” but how is your knowledge of the “Eat Well Harvest”, food provenance and sustainability.
[... go to post ]History of Farming
How growing and harvesting cereals and potatoes has changed since World War II
Heritage of the Wolds
Feeding a nation, Christmas harvests and farmers work
Preserving – memories, food and wool
Horse Power – then and now, Poo Cycle, Crop Cycle
Autumn Tasks, Victorian Villages, School’s Harvest
Bygone days, harvest and lambs
Landscape from Ice gives harvest for beast and man
[... go to post ]Hedgerow feasts –.We look at some of the plants and animals you may find in a hedgerow and how we can link these in food chains.
Cow’s stomach feasts – We look at how ruminants rely of micro-beasts in their 4 stomachs to help them digest grass making them very important to food production as this allows us to produce food from land we would not otherwise be able to use.
Tasty feasts – We look at how strawberries are produced in time for Wimbledon snacks
Teachers enjoyed the ‘fascinating insight in how food is grown’ on a visit to Stockbridge Technology Centre where they saw how modern horticulture is using new LED technology to make the growing of tomatoes and other crops more sustainable. The teachers are going to add this new knowledge in the scheme of work they are
[... go to post ]Allotment – Snails a pest to farmers and gardeners. Have some fun with a snail race
Grass at Last – We revisit the lambs we saw turned out after lambing and we see our calves getting their first taste of fresh grass
Beetroot Seed & Ripe Tomatoes – We say strange beetroot seed planted and then the tomatoes we saw planted, sorted by robots, pollinated by bees are finally picked and sorted ready for you to enjoy in the shops.
Allotment – Planting runner beans, corgettes and brassicas in with or without a garden.
Planting…– We see the schools visiting Stockbridge Technology Centre planting lettuce and then see how farmers plant lettuce and sprouts on a commercial scale.
Pigs for bacon – The pigs we have followed from farrowing are weighed to see if they are ready for bacon. We also follow a local butcher as he explains how a pig carcass in butchered into the various pork and bacon cuts
Lambing – Follow lambing on Oliver’s Farm where we see lots of new born lambs and the work involved in looking after all these new lives, which involves both experienced shepherds and fresh, enthusiastic young shepherds.
Planting Potatoes – We see the first school visits of the year to Stockbridge Technology Centre and see the children and their teachers busy planting potatoes and wild flowers.
Allotment Update – See how crops have progress on our allotment.
[... go to post ] Planning done! – Planning over down to planting on the Allotment, with bean, peas, parsnips and catch crops.
Busy bees Busy Farmers –Shows bees busy pollinating tomatoes, and farmers busy in the fields, fertilising winter crops and sowing spring crops.
Secret Calves and lambs? – Explains how we have so far been unsuccessful in catching calves being born on film, but how we are more confident of catching lambs being born as our farmer has 2000 ewes to lamb. We see these ewes being brought inside, fed and vaccinated in preparation for lambing.
The ABC of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths in Food Production (ABC STEM in Food Production) has been produced for science week (13-22 March 2015) but it can be used at any time so don’t worry if your science week is already over flowing with science! This will give you a taste of the experience of having a farm yard in your classroom – but without the muck and without the smells!
The ABC STEM in Food Production gives the ABC’s of the part science, technology, engineering & maths play in modern food production. See how Bees, Cows, Digestion, Evolution, Fermentation….. Interactive screen and Lasers play a part in modern food production.
[... go to post ]
Discovering Our Countryside is ideally placed to help you deliver the Food Provenance section of the exciting new GCSE.
Food provenance
Where and how foods are grown, reared, or caught and the primary and secondary stages of processing and production.
How processing affects the sensory and nutritional properties of ingredients.
The impact of food and food security on the environment, local and global markets and communities.
This program looks at the importance of weather how it effects wildlife and the onset of spring, how we can cheat the weather to some extent by growing plants and using bees in a greenhouse, but not without a cost. Also how it can still cause problems with keeping livestock like pigs outside.
Spring has sprung – Should you rush to start planting your plot on the first day of spring? What else could you be doing?
Beating the weather? –Another visit to the greenhouses to see how the tomatoes are progressing, as well as cucumbers and surprisingly strawberries.
The weather can kill! – This follows our newborn piglets through to weaning, looking at what different systems are available for rearing pigs and how the UK pig herd has some of the highest welfare standards in the world – which we should be supporting if we believe in animal welfare.
Peas or more specifically vining peas or grown to produce frozen peas that we all know and love. These peas are grown on contract to companies such as Birds Eye who produce frozen peas. They give the farmer very specific instructions about growing the crop such as when to sow the seeds. This is to ensure that the harvest can be managed so the peas are harvested get to the factory and frozen within 90 minutes of harvest thus freezing in their sweetness
[... go to post ]Forward planning your Veggie Patch – Seasonal vegetables are about forward planning. Even when it is snowing in spring you can be starting your spring planting with home made newspaper plant pots!
Preparing for Calving and Sows Farrowing – Shows a farmer fetching in his cattle ready for calving in the spring, Then goes on to show how piglets are born all year round. With footage of piglets actually being born .
New Life in the Greenhouse –Show the tomatoes we saw being planted and grown as seedlings now being transferred and set out in greenhouses.
Extending the Veggie Patch – extending our veggie patch to grow more fresh produce.
Milk beyond the farm – Shows that the safety of this important foodstuff starts with storage on the farm and then shows how it is treated to keep it safe to consume and then how it is packed into the cartons of liquid milk you buy as a consumer.
Potatoes beyond the farm – This shows how the surplus of harvest is stored and gradually used to keep the shops of Britain supplied year round – without the need for ‘fresh’ imports of potatoes from abroad as some shops would have you believe. It also shows how one of our favourite potato products is made – Crisps!
Farm Animals and Computers – Shows how computers are used to monitor pigs feeding during pregnancy and also how they are used to help farmers weigh ingredients so they can mix the correct food ingredients for cattle. It also shows how even milking cows and goats is helped by the use of computer to monitor how much milk is produced.
In your local Greenhouse – Shows how machines are used to plant seeds then how computers and robots are used to then sort the growing seedlings. It also shows how human input is still needed for many jobs that computers cannot do – yet!
Winter Harvest – See what you can harvest even in winter on our allotment.
Christmas Harvest in the fields. – Christmas Trees and Sprouts being harvested for Christmas.The wet Autumn has meant farmers are still trying to harvest some other crops to0…..
Christmas Jumpers. – See how the wool for your jumper get from the sheep to Santa’s sack!
Using Wildlife to help you celebrate Christmas. – Gives details of how to make a traditional Christmas Wreath decoration using foliage from the countryside
Plus Bonus – How we can help you with your growing in school next term
How can you enjoy your 5-a-day all year round? This looks at the different ways we use to preserve food so we can enjoy it out of season. Freeze it! Cool it! Fly it! Cover it! Time it!
Dressing a Lambs carcass. – Shows how your local butcher dresses or butchers a lambs carcass for you to enjoy your favourite cuts of lamb such as chops, leg or shoulder of lamb.
Helping wildlife with the seasons. – Shows how you can help the wildlife cycle by feeding birds in your garden or school. This section gives you advice and tips on feeding birds and also how you can make your own fat balls.
Home
Contact
About Us 
Cookies
Help