Farm to Fork with Cooper

It's important for children to know about food.

They should know the names of food as well as the look, feel, smell and taste of it and they should have a knowledge of where food comes from.

Recently I accompanied Cooper on his nursery visit to Rosemount Farm on the Blairgowrie Estate in Perthshire, where he learned all about the farm and the food grown there. It was part of the Co-operative's From Farm to Fork Initiative. Over 65,000 children from across the UK have visited a local farm and I think it's a fabulous venture.

The day started off with us all clambering on to the bus for our journey to the farm with wellies at the ready and a lunchtime snack packed safely in our bags.

On arrival the children were greeted by Margaret Hart, the project leader and taken into an informal classroom where they listened to a talk with slides about the farm and what they grow. There was a rather nice demonstration of wheat being ground into flour and lots of questions and answers. The group were then split into two groups and they started their adventures on the farm.

Cooper started his visit with some baking. If you've seen Cooper's cookery series over at Baby Centre or have seen some of his appearances on this blog you'll know how perfect this was.

Cooper's group was taught how to make pizza dough using flour from the wheat grown on the farm and then they made their own individual pizzas. Cooper was delighted with his.

The smell of the pizzas cooking was divine so it was just as well lunch was next on the agenda.

We all tucked into our lunches with vigour and then the children set of on their next farm experience.

Cooper and his group were taken around the farm to look at the machinery, tractors and the hay bales, then we had a walk down the road and into one of the farm's fields where the children moved hay and dug up carrots.

 

An excellent day out and a great learning experience for the children (and adults). A big thumbs up and 5 out of 5 for the Co-op and their initiative as well as the educational workers who were so good with the children and made the visit so enjoyable. Also a big thumbs up to Cooper's nursery who are great with the children and teach them so much.

Once children learn where food comes from it is time to take them into the kitchen, so here are some recipes for your children to try:

Cooking with Cooper
(Baby Centre UK)

• Cheese and Pesto Pinwheels
• Tabbouleh
• Quick Banana Pops 
• Simple Fruit Scones 
• Jam Tarts 
• Easy Ginger Nuts 
• Homemade Easter Egg
• Coconut Ice

Eat Your Veg

• Bread Tarts
• Leek and Sweet Potato Soup
• Hedgehog Rolls
• Glamorgan Sausages 
• Simple Tomato and Veggie Pasta Sauce
• Cheesy Pumpkin Scones
• Apple and Blackberry Traybake
• Chocolate, Beetroot and Walnut Brownies

For more family friendly meals check out Dinner with Crayons,  Bangers and Mash, Utterly Scrummy Food for Families, Feeding Boys and a Firefighter and French Foodie Baby.