Nursery World - Farm visits: Town and country

Last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak put paid to most farm visits, but understanding farming life is vital for young children, says Judith Napier

Farm visits are a standard part of nursery life, but last year, the seven-month-long foot-and-mouth outbreak changed all that. Farms, zoos and pets corners shut down, almost four million animals were slaughtered, the countryside became a no-go area, and adults had to explain to small children the impact of an epidemic they themselves barely understood.

Animals at Mudchute Farm, on the Isle of Dogs in London, were never under threat, but the premises did close for six months. Education officer Maggie Pilcombe remembers the confusion. 'Our education role came to the fore. We put up explanatory notices, but still lots of people thought they could catch the disease, or that our animals had been killed, so there was a lot of fear. In cities, particularly, there is not an understanding of the countryside.'

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