North East farmer inspires thousands of schoolchildren with talks about life on the farm

Andrew Thompson volunteers as an NFU Farmers for Schools Ambassador, a role which has seen him deliver back-to-back lessons speaking to more than 2,000 schoolchildren about British food and farming over the last few months.

Mr Thompson is an arable farmer in Wingate who has also diversified into green‑waste composting, processing up to 40,000 tonnes of garden waste each year, turning it into nutrient‑rich compost that is used as fertiliser both on his own farm and by others across County Durham.

He said: “I really enjoy going into schools, talking about what I do, and the children are often very engaged and interested, asking all sorts of questions.

“I think it’s really important that children understand where their food comes from, that it doesn’t just come from the supermarket, and to have a bit of an understanding about what farmers do. They are the consumers of the future.

“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it myself. When I see the children so interested in farming it makes me come away feeling inspired and reminds me that farmers across the country do great work feeding the nation and looking after the environment.”

Mr Thompson hopes his talks will help to inspire farmers of the future and support the NFU’s educations work in promoting careers in farming to young people.

Last year the NFU conducted research which revealed that two-thirds of teachers believe food and farming should play a bigger role in the national curriculum – a view echoed by the public, with more than 42,000 people signing the NFU’s petition calling on government to act.

Over the past year, more than half a million schoolchildren have taken part in NFU live lessons, while the ‘Farmers for Schools’ programme – where trained farmers and NFU staff visit schools to share their stories – has more than doubled in reach. In the 2024/25 academic year alone, the programme has connected with over 30,000 pupils, thanks to the dedication of nearly 400 trained volunteers bringing food and farming into classrooms across the country.

The NFU runs several projects to promote farming careers to young people, including the Farmers for Schools Programme and the NFU Student and Young Farmer Ambassador Programme, which helps to give farmers aged 30 and under a strong voice in shaping the future of the agricultural industry.

Mr Thompson said: “I think the NFU Education team does a fantastic job.

“They come up with so many great ideas about how to teach people about food and farming in a fun and engaging way.

“I would highly recommend becoming a Farmers for Schools Ambassador to anyone thinking about getting involved – it’s such a rewarding experience and it feels great to be doing my bit.”