Western Daily Press (Saturday)
They’re lovin’ it - McDonald’s farm giving back to industry
DORSET became the host to McDonald’s first farm in a new flagship programme for the brand.
The company’s new scheme is aiming to encourage more young people to consider a career in farming.
Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester has partnered with the global chain and on Wednesday opened its Flagship Farm in Sherborne.
Set over three days, 11 students from St Thomas More School in Walsall, West Midlands, swapped the classroom for Dorset’s countryside with hands-on experience at a McDonald’s organic dairy farm, part of the chain’s Reframing Nature programme.
Pupils were also given the chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the McDonald’s branch, not far from Sherborne’s Flagship Farm.
The pilot, hosted by Kingston Maurward College and local McDonald’s franchisee Chris Truscott, enabled students to be immersed in a variety of practical activities on-site at the college.
The scheme is designed to encourage students to consider a career in farming, particularly those from urban backgrounds, who may not traditionally consider a career in food and farming, to think about a role in the industry.
In a bid to inspire young people from diverse backgrounds and communities, McDonald’s has committed to creating over 100 careers in food and farming, and hopes initiatives like these can be set up throughout the UK.
Mr Truscott, who has been a franchisee in Weymouth and Dorchester for the last five years, said: “I understand how important agriculture is to the local area. The idea of the pilot programme is to try and help young people into a land-based career where they might not have considered it historically”.
As a local of the area, Mr Truscott feels Dorset is in a “very fortunate position to where we see so much of the farming and food supply chain community” particularly where other parts of the UK do not.
As a result, he felt compelled to provide opportunities for students to consider a career in farming.
He explained: “The food and farming sectors are a huge part of community life in my home of Dorset.
“Therefore it was important to me to spearhead this initiative with McDonald’s to show young people from other parts of the country what careers in this sector, and across the McDonald’s supply chain, can look like. The more young people we can engage in these careers, whatever their background, the stronger our industry will be in future – from farm to front counter.”
Though the students were initially apprehensive of being on the farm, Mr Truscott tells us that they quickly warmed up to the animals and said he was touched that pupils were enjoying their time.
“It’s been amazing,” he said.
“The most powerful thing for me was one of the students actually took an instant Polaroid and gave me the photo of them with the cows on the organic dairy farm. That was really touching as it tells me that they’re getting something out of it and enjoying it.”
He joked: “To use the McDonald’s phrase, they’re lovin’ it.”
Millie Avery, a student from St Thomas More School, said the experience has been “amazing”.
She said: “I’ve really enjoyed the past few days, learning more about the wide range of roles within the food and farming industry, and getting the chance to see a McDonald’s dairy farm. “
She added: “Coming from a town in the Midlands, being out on a farm and getting a behind the scenes look at a supply chain has been amazing. I’d say it’s opened my eyes to other careers I wouldn’t necessarily have thought of, too.”
Harriet Wilson, who works on agriculture and sustainable sourcing at McDonald’s, said the chain is aiming to reach a net zero target by 2040.
She says that to get there “we absolutely need new talent, new ideas and real diversity” to reach its target of net zero.
Students were able to learn more about animal welfare and wildlife conservation and the visit ended with careers and employability advice from industry experts.
During the visit, students also heard from the McDonald’s supply chain team and one of the brand’s long-term dairy suppliers to understand more about working in the food and farming industry, and completed the farm to front counter experience with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Dorchester McDonald’s restaurant.
Frances Jenkins, careers and industry lead at Kingston Maurward College hopes that this programme will “shine a light” on the farming sector.
She said: “Encouraging young, diverse talent to consider land-based careers is so important for the future of this industry, which is why we’re proud to be involved in this Reframing Nature pilot programme.
“To be able to provide students from urban backgrounds with an experience of the sector, and to shine a light on the sorts of careers available within it, is just brilliant and we hope that initiatives like this inspire more people to consider a role within land-based industries in the future.”