Bridgwater College’s The Walled Gardens of Cannington recently welcomed Years 5 and 6 from Meare Village Primary School, as part of a tour around the Cannington Centre.

The group started their day by visiting Bridgwater College’s Rodway Farm where they learnt about a day in the life of a dairy farmer and where food comes from. They got to see some newly born calves and have a tractor and trailer ride; they even had a chance to milk our very special model cow, Daisy.

During the afternoon the children visited the Walled Gardens, where the visitors had a garden tour and were shown the newly built and installed aquaponics centre, located in the Botanical Glasshouse, squirting cucumbers and edible crops that are growing within the grounds. Their challenge was to provide a menu for a ‘Come Dine with Me’ meal, which comprised of a starter, main course, dessert and drinks and included three ingredients which were grown on site, per course. 

The school visit was part of FarmLink, which Bridgwater College is a partner of. FarmLink educates thousands of children in the South West and Staffordshire on where food comes from, farming and the countryside.

Sarah Vincent, teacher from Meare Primary School said,

“The children had a fabulous day and thoroughly enjoyed the activities. The Gardens’ staff were knowledgeable and well prepared. The activities planned were pitched perfectly and captivated the children's attention. The children reported the day as being fun, informative and very educational. They were never off task and the staff could answer their questions with appropriate responses.”

Emma Butler, Associate Lecturer at Bridgwater College said,

“The children’s imaginations ran wild with the day’s activities. As part of their three course meal they included the unusual ‘cucamelons’ and Pelargonium ‘cola bottles’, which smell of Coca Cola. It was great to teach them about the growing process and how ingredients make it from farm to fork.”

If you would like more information about The Walled Gardens of Cannington call 01278 655042, email walledgardens@bridgwater.ac.uk. If you wish to find out more about FarmLink, including free school visits and assemblies, please contact dani@farmlink.org.uk or visit www.farmlink.org.uk.