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The Year of Food and Farming: September 2007 – July 2008

The Year of Food and Farming (YFF), which will officially run from September 2007 until July 2008, is a campaign to promote healthy living by giving young people direct experience of countryside, farming and food. The YFF aims to bring together schools, farmers, food producers and many others. It will provide a unique opportunity for young people to find out about the countryside and where their food comes from. During the Year, children will have the opportunity to:

• follow the story from 'field to fork'
• explore the importance of food
• make informed decisions about food and healthy nutrition
• watch what happens on a real-life farm
• experience what the countryside can offer
• learn more about environmental issues linked to food and the countryside

Y.F.F. AND THE ARTHUR RANK CENTRE
The Arthur Rank Centre (ARC) fully supports this initiative, as part of our work with organisations & individuals involved in the whole rural & agricultural sector, and the rural communities and churches with which they are linked. We encourage churches to organise, support and promote YFF events in their communities and to use the YFF themes as a focus for occasions such as Harvest Festival and Rogation services. Resources are currently being prepared and will be made available on this website (see below).

The YFF plans to incorporate aspects of the developing initiative of Care Farming in the UK (see below for links). The ARC is one of the organisations represented on the steering group of the newly-founded National Care Farming Initiative.

HARVEST WORSHIP AND RESOURCES FOR USE IN THE Y.F.F.
Amongst many other things, The Arthur Rank Centre maintains a wide selection of worship resources related to the rural context and wider environmental and ecological issues. Some of this material is being written specifically for use as part of the Year of Food and Farming initiative. Feel free to download this material and incorporate it in your worship service or school assembly, but please acknowledge the ARC.

ARC’s Harvest Resources produced specifically for the Year of Food & Farming - Adobe Acrobat pdf (142 Kb) or Microsoft Word (64 Kb).

Click on the appropriate link below to search the broader range of worship resources available from The ARC.

LINKS
Year of Food and Farming website
FACE (Farming and Countryside Education) website
Arthur Rank Centre Rural Worship resources
Arthur Rank Centre page on Care Farming
National Care Farming Initiative website

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE YEAR OF FOOD AND FARMING
The Year of Food and Farming is to benefit and include:

• Everyone in the food and farming sectors – including food producers, processors, distributors, retailers & caterers
• All children in all schools in England – primary, secondary & special
• The children’s teachers, parents and carers
• The wider education sector – colleges, training providers & voluntary sector bodies

It is intended to achieve:

• Wider and deeper understanding about the food chain and the countryside
• Increased and sustainable links between schools and the food sector
• Healthier lifestyles and better nutrition choices
• Production of new, high quality resources
• Greater awareness of careers
• Fun and enjoyment

In this, it links together key government agendas surrounding:

• Learning outside the classroom
• Healthier school meals
• Developing healthier lifestyles
• Sustainable farming & food production

By the official start of the Year of Food and Farming in September 2007, the YFF website should have a map allowing schools (and other organisations) to find and contact local farmers who are available to participate in programmed YFF events.