Escape to the farm

WE have all read surveys declaring that three in 10 children believe that eggs come from sheep and that cheese comes from butterflies. It is certainly true that people are becoming increasingly divorced from the origins of their food. Educators are keen to address this worrying trend and many schools in rural locations are making use of the space around them in new ways, by keeping animals and growing their own fruit and vegetables. They report that introducing a farm, however small, enhances the learning experience and teaches vital lessons about animal husbandry, conservation and the responsibility of looking after an animal.

Lathallan School, housed in a 19th-century castle on the east coast of Scotland, is