Outdoor learning as pupils visit dairy

Pupils from Conifers School in Midhurst enjoyed learning all about cows and dairy farming on an educational trip to Cucumber Farm.

The independent prep school, which places a particular emphasis on the great outdoors as part of its curriculum, took pupils to the Singleton farm where they learned about the work that goes into producing dairy products.

The schoolchildren enjoyed learning about what cows eat and how much water they must drink to produce one litre of milk, as well as how the animals are farmed for dairy.

Also included in the trip was an opportunity to visit the milking parlour which ‘mesmerised’ the pre-prep pupils.

In addition to the educational side of the visit, the schoolchildren particularly enjoyed meeting the cows and stroking the calves. For some of the pupils, aged six and seven, this was their first experience of a working farm.

During the visit, which included spending time inside the farm’s dairy parlour, the children heard all about how Cucumber Farm churns out its ‘delicious’ dairy produce.

Conifers School teacher Moyra Davey said: “Lady Benson and her team at Cucumber Farm were extremely accommodating and we are very grateful for such a wonderful experience for the children.”

During the morning-long visit, the pupils were also taught about the journey from farm to fork.

Head of outdoor learning Paul Crosdil joined the children on the trip. He said: “It is so important to educate new generations about where their food comes from and these type of trips are great opportunities to do exactly that.

“Our local area has such a wonderful farming story to share and the earlier we can get this message across to children the better.”

On return, the children wrote letters to Lady Benson and her team to thank them for the memorable visit.

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