The Big Banger Project!

Project summary

Year 5's from ten Primary Schools in Monmouthshire will visit Trealy Farm near Mitchel Troy in Monmouth, during the summer term. They will learn about how food is produced there and come up with their own unique sausage recipe. They will then make their own sausages at school under the supervision of Trealy Farm.

At the farm they will: 

• devise their own sausage recipe 
• do blind tastings of spices / fruit etc to experience different tastes 
• see sheep and goats and learn how they are looked after 
• look at how veg grows, dig some veg up 
• see the pigs 
• do a short environmental trail

One team from each school will then go forward to represent their school at the Abergavenny Food Festival on September 19 and 20 2009, in the finals of the Best Sausage Maker in Monmouthshire!

The project will also be documented by Monmouthshire's local TV station, Mon-TV.

This project should satisfy the following criteria:

• Show knowledge and understanding of an aspect of food and its production
• Show knowledge and understanding of the relationship between this aspect and one or more of the following: sustainable development; healthy living; wildlife; local economy; tourism.

Background

In 2008 three of Monmouthshire's comprehensive schools took part in a sausage making competition organised by Trealy Farm and the Abergavenny Food Festival. The farm visits and the final of the competition were a great success. Students felt inspired and excited to be able to explore how animals are farmed on one local farm, handle and feed those animals, handle meat, smell and taste a range of herbs, spices and fruits, be creative in using those herbs, spices and fruits to design their own sausage.

This was an engaging, meaningful and challenging experience. For example, those who were sceptical that they could handle raw meat were soon enjoying the experience of it. Teachers also found it rewarding and illuminating. The sense of ownership of the process by pupils was particularly strong and an important feature of the work done.

"For many students this was their first encounter with the full food production process. Rather than a cellophaned pack from a supermarket shelf, this was real food from a real animal. Students went away with new skills, a heightened sense of taste, a new respect for animals reared for food and the responsibility we have for animal welfare and responsible and sustainable food production.

This is a very worthwhile project - one I would recommend and indeed, one I hope to repeat with other students."

Carole Anderson, Headteacher
Monmouth Comprehensive School, January 2009

At the food festival itself the atmosphere was electric, and the students were delighted to be part of the festival. Henrietta Green, from Food from Britain also saw the value of the project commenting that it was extremely innovative and worthwhile.

Now Trealy Farm, the Abergavenny Food Festival and the Appetite for Life group in Monmouthshire would like to take this amazing opportunity to Primary Schools, so that they too can see a working farm and learn how to make sausages.

The Welsh Assembly Government's Appetite for Life initiative is designed to improve the nutritional content of school meals but also to "support schools in developing a whole school approach to food and nutrition."

 

As part of its commitment of delivering this action, the Monmouthshire Appetite for Life group, would like Year 5's in ten Primary Schools to experience a farm visit and have the opportunity to develop their own school sausage recipe.

Learning Objectives 

• To understand how food reaches us ‘from seed to stomach'. 
• To understand more about the Appetite for Life initiative and why school meals are important.
• To understand the health and hygiene risks associated with visiting a farm and having contact with animals. 
• To participate in an experience of pig, sheep and vegetable farming, sausage making and cooking, to observe other aspects of the process including butchery and to raise awareness of aspects not seen at Trealy Farm, including slaughter, selling and marketing.
• To explore and raise awareness of the potential impact of diverse practises of growing and delivering food on the environment, on animal welfare, on wildlife and on health.
• To find out about how Trealy Farm grows and makes food, and the agencies that support it including AONB, Adventa, Tir Gofal and Farmers Markets in Wales. 
• To know what is meant by ‘sustainable' in food production

 

Link to Abergavenny Food Festival: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com