CHILDREN from a Weymouth primary school spent a day learning about life on the farm.

The class of Year 5 children from St John’s Primary School attended an open day at the Charborough Estate near Bere Regis owned by South Dorset MP Richard Drax.

Local schools are invited to the estate as part of his long-running Kids to Farm initiative.

Mr Drax said: “This is a project I feel passionate about and one that has been running now for some years. It is a real joy to see the children’s faces as they visit the countryside and learn about its many unique and special features.

“Greater understanding of farming and rural issues is vital if we are going to bring the urban and rural communities closer together.

“In addition to showing youngsters where our food comes from, I wish to impress on them the strategic importance of being able to grow our own food.

“We are blessed in Dorset with some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK but it does need managing and these visits give us the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to food production and conservation.”

During the five-hour visit the children learned about a range of topics, including some subjects that were being covered in their science classes. These included farming, both arable farming and dairy farming, and wildlife forestry.

They also learned about animal health, deer management and gamekeeping.

It is the second year running that the school has visited the estate.

St John’s Primary School deputy headteacher Richard Pask said the day was a great success.

He said: “We took a Year 5 class last year and they really enjoyed it and so we decided to go back again.”