School on the farm

Short description

This project is addresses to a broad target group on a country wide level: children and adolescents who can experience the food production and animal husbandry right on the farm, teachers who support the communication of a more realistic picture of agriculture, parents who take advantage from their children’s experiences on primary production by being sensitized themselves and certainly farmers who can attract new clients by offering them direct contact.

The project “School on the farm” has been successfully realized in Austria since 1998. It aims at the communication of agricultural contents and strengthens the environmental conscience of the future consumers. Furthermore, children and adolescents can gain insight into agriculture. There are more than 100 active farms offering “School on the farm” in the province of Styria.

Point of departure

Today many children are not anymore aware of the food’s origin and do not know much about the life on a farm. They often even do not know where milk and bread come from.

Targets and target groups

By providing an additional income opportunity, the farm’s profitability can be increased.

Project implementation and measures

The project implementation effects as follows (within all provinces): The LFI is responsible for the education and training of the farmers, the project quality management, the training of the existing farms participating in the project, the processing of the grant funding. Furthermore, the LFI is the contact point for interested teachers.

Results and effects

Starting in 1998, the “School on the farm“ project has continuously and successfully been introduced to schools within all Austrian provinces.  In the province of Styria more than 400 school classes are making use of the “School on the farm“ program.  The project benefits about 8000 children and adolescents.

Erfahrung

The “School on the farm“ project is presented in more detail on a double-DVD set. Pupils, teachers ad farmers report on the project and speak about their own experiences.