Virtual reality offers youngsters an insight into life on the farm

VIRTUAL REALITY technology is providing new, immersive ways to teach young people about farming.

At the National Farmers’ Union’s Discovery Barn, visitors were transported to the farmyard and got close up to a dairy herd using a VR headset.

The barn also featured a combine harvester driving experience, the chance to milk a dummy cow and an explanation of the farming year.

“We are promoting the hitech nature of modern farming because the youngsters are particularly interested in the technology,” said Lewis Antrobus, of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) learning enterprise Learn By Design, who greeted visitors to the NFU’s barn.

“It’s about showing them where their food is coming from and it is particularly powerful when we take it into cities because children there don’t tend to have access to rural experiences.”

The average age of a British farmer is 58 and there are concerns about securing the industry’s future workforce.

Rachael Gillbanks, communications adviser at the NFU, said: “We are doing more than ever to engage with younger farmers coming through.

“We potentially have this massive change to come for the industry (because of Brexit) and younger people are going to be the ones responding to this and coming up with ideas to take it forward.

“There is so much to shout about – about what’s positive – the variety of jobs and careers in farming and I think young people have that drive and enthusiasm to take that on.”

To engage with children about food and farming, the NFU launched its STEMterprise initiative earlier this year. The project sees teachers being trained to take primary school pupils through the process of setting up their own farm shop business.