Kids swap virtual farming for the real thing at Cheshire Show

An estimated 62 million users of the social networking website Facebook are signed up to a virtual farming game called Farmville, and 22 million of them log onto the game everyday.

NFU’s Cheshire County Chairman, Jonny Hewitt, said: “Farmville is fashionable and fun but no substitute for the real thing. In our marquee we have piglets, hatching chicks, baby ducks and cute calves, all of which were stroked and handled. Not only that, we also give away salad seeds for the children to grow in their own gardens at home.

“Farming is currently in vogue. For the last ten years the NFU has carefully and considerately chipped away at changing the public attitude towards farming and now that farming is firmly in fashion, we must use opportunities such as the Cheshire Show to talk farming with youngsters to help them understand the role of farmers and growers and how they can meet the demand for food, while impacting less on the environment. It’s also a chance for them to learn the story of how food makes its way from the farm and onto our dinner plates.”

Situated in the centre of the Cheshire Show’s rural life section, the Why Farming Matters marquee received a special award from the show society for its exceptional level of interactivity.

Chairman of the NFU’s Cheshire public relations group, Phil Smallwood, said: “The Cheshire Show is a great advert and shop window for agriculture and I would like to thank the show society for giving the NFU the opportunity to showcase farming.”

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