Meanwood Valley Farm – understanding land use in an urban area
Year 3 had an interesting visit to Meanwood Valley Urban Farm. Meanwood Valley Urban Farm is located not far from school, in the centre of a built-up area, not what we typically think of when we think about farms. The children have been learning about how land is used, and we have been investigating this using digital mapping software. This was an opportunity to do some fieldwork and identify some of the different ways land is used in our local area and specifically on a farm.
Upon arrival, the children were split into 2 groups; one group were given a guide tour by one of the Meanwood Farm staff and the other group completed a self-guided tour. The groups then swapped. The guided tour began with the areas of the farm that were used to raise animals including donkeys, alpacas, cows, sheep, goats and chickens. We then visited areas of the farm where fruit and vegetables were grown. It was interesting to see the poly tunnels as this helped the children’s understanding that, despite the cold winter weather, farms are still making use of the land all year round. The children identified these areas on their maps and were able to understand whether they were arable (growing crops) or pastoral (for raising animals). Meanwood Valley Farm sells produce including vegetable boxes and eggs to the public and this provided the children with a clear example of how land is used for commercial reasons.
The self-guided tour gave the children more time and freedom to investigate the farm using their maps to navigate. In the farm buildings there was an opportunity to see small animals including rabbits and Guinea pigs and the children understood that people pay to come and see these animals and this is another way that the land is used for commercial reasons.
Fieldwork is key to the children’s understanding of geography as it gives them the opportunity to develop their geographical disciplinary skills in the environment which helps their retention and understanding of what they are learning.
