Local farmers will lead and mentor 605 primary school children and their teachers from central Warwickshire through the Festival which connects food with its production by engaging the children with practitioners from local land based industries.

This project enables disadvantaged and disabled children living in Central Warwickshire the opportunity to take part in rural and land based activities, focused around Equine Facilitated Learning.

The Friendly Farmer project is all about establishing opportunities of mutual benefit for linking villages with their surrounding farms.

There are two elements to the project.

The first is to inform farmers of a range of activities that they can share with their communities. This will be achieved by using NFU, CLA, YFC and the Rural Hub who will help the project assemble a database from which farmer groups are created and taken to one of three ‘demonstration’ farms.

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust would like to get people in and around the Princethorpe/ Bubbenhall area involved in learning more about the environment about them, especially the woods and the hedgerows between them, linking to the local farming economy and the history of the woodlands.

I think a LEADER project linking schools to local allotment associations and farms would greatly benefit any rural community. Gardening and growing things is both healthy and educational for children who could be supported by volunteers from allotments and farms to grow their own produce at the school. Children could visit allotments, farms and markets and really get an understanding where food comes from. It is also a project that could be taken as far as is sustainable.

It would be really good to join the villages up in Central Warwickshire using the latest Internet technologies. A LEADER village network could be created which would facilitate community cohesion, sharing of best practice and sharing of resources.

Marton has started a pig club whereby members will share the costs and maintenance of rearing 10 rare Berkshire piglets. The group will start building the pens this weekend and are hoping to eat their first pork in the spring. The organiser didn't have the time or the land to raise his own pigs but wrote to 200 residents and has 20 members of the club so far. He says that his children are very interested and have already started asking questions about life and death!