Organic Winner
06.05.2003
Altwood School, Maidenhead beat tough competition
from four other Berkshire secondary schools to receive the Best
Presentation award in the 2003 Food and Farming Challenge regional
final which took place on Tuesday 29 April. The school partnered
with Waltham Place Organic Farm and over 120 pupils visited to
see how organic farming methods encourage wildlife and how they
could use wildlife friendly practices to improve their school grounds.
Food and Farming Challenge is a scheme that prepares
young people for adult working life by providing schools with genuine
projects and problem solving activities set by organisations associated
with food, farming and the countryside.
The Newbury and District Agricultural Society
sponsored the regional final as part of its education programme
to give young people a better understanding of agriculture and
the countryside. Regional organisers, West Berkshire Education
Business Partnership, work with local companies to set the challenges
and match them with local schools.
Theale Green School, Theale Green was awarded
Overall Winner at the presentation which took place at Englefield
House, near Theale. Year 10 chemistry students worked with Englefield
Estate on 'Nitrates: Naughty or Nice…', a project which
investigated and compared the nitrate concentration of soil in
fields with organic and conventional crops.
Other finalists were: Blessed Hugh Faringdon School,
Reading partnered with Thames Water; Kennet School, Thatcham partnered
with Porchester Farms and Desborough School, Maidenhead, who worked
with Waltham Place Farm Shop.
Judging the presentations and displays were: Alan Cooper - Chairman
of the Newbury and District Agricultural Society, Meg Hart - Regional
Educational Consultant, FACE (Farming and Countryside Education),
Tony Green - Community Officer, Sainsbury's and Lyn Hargood - Managing
Director, West Berkshire Education Business Partnership.
Presenting the prizes Mr Cooper said, "The
Newbury & District Agricultural Society is delighted to support
the Food and Farming Challenge as it matches our aim to improve
the understanding of farming and food production." Mr Cooper
continued, "Communication lies at the heart of today's world
and the students here demonstrated excellent skills at communicating
what they achieved in all their challenges."
For further press information please contact:
Annette Priestley
Comand (UK)
Tel: 01635 248258
e-mail: priestley@comanduk.co.uk
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