Connecting the countryside to the kitchen

Helping children understand where their food comes from starts with connecting them to the people, places and communities behind it.

That is at the heart of FarmWise, a collaborative project between Devon County Agricultural Association, Devon County Council and South West Norse, bringing farming to life for primary school children across Devon.

Through hands-on experiences, children can smell hay, feel soil, meet animals and discover the journey food takes from field to plate. Each autumn, the flagship FarmWise event at Westpoint welcomes 1,600 pupils and 200 teachers, with 12 interactive zones exploring every aspect of farming and the countryside here in Devon everything from fruit and vegetables to dairy, arable, wildlife and forestry.

FarmWise is designed to reach children wherever they are. Alongside the main event, the outreach van takes hands-on activities directly into schools and communities across Devon, particularly helping children who may not be able to attend the Westpoint event. 

Coordinated by the South West Norse team, the wider FarmWise programme reaches around 10,000 people through its events and outreach activity each year.

For South West Norse, FarmWise reflects our wider role in supporting people and communities across Devon. Our school catering teams help provide nutritious, enjoyable meals for children every day, while our management of 65 residential dairy and mixed livestock farms supports the farming communities and landscapes that help produce the food we eat.

These activities form part of our management of the 3,873-hectare Devon County Farms Estate, helping support a thriving rural economy while creating opportunities for the next generation to understand and value the countryside around them.

By bringing the journey from field to plate to life, FarmWise creates meaningful connections between children, food, farming and the communities that make Devon such a special place to live and work.