UFU announces 2020 schools competition winners

ULSTER FARMERS’ UNION NEWS RELEASE

Date: 31 July 2020
Cyclo No: 114/2020

The Ulster Farmers’ Union, in partnership with Bank of Ireland Virtual Farm Weekend and Asda, are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 “Dig in! to why farming matters” schools competition.

The competition, kindly sponsored by Asda, was open to all nursery, primary, and special schools, where pupils were asked to put their creative skills to the test. The theme related to the UFU’s food and farming education resource “Dig In!” which encourages pupils to learn more about food, farming, and the countryside.

UFU deputy president, David Brown said, “A huge congratulations to all of the winners and a big thank you to everyone who entered. We were delighted to receive 1000 competition entries this year despite facing the many challenges of COVID-19, it’s a fantastic achievement. Every year we are impressed by the standard and creativity of entries and this year was no different. The effort and time that pupils, teachers, parents and guardians put into the competition was evident as all of the entries were of the highest standard.

“I hope that by participating in the competition this year, it created discussion in the home and classrooms about the importance of food and farming in Northern Ireland allowing children to learn more about the passion and dedication of our farmers, who work hard seven days a week to produce delicious, high-quality, healthy food that we consume daily. Not to mention the many ways farmers look after the countryside which is iconic for its greenery across the world.

“During the pandemic, our farmers were recognised as key workers playing a crucial role in the battle against COVID-19 by producing food for the nation. Our schools competition allows us to continue building upon this positive image through fun education.”

Joe McDonald, Asda NI Corporate Affairs Manager, said, “As a proud sponsor of the schools’ competition, it was fantastic to see such a large number of entries this year, particularly with schools closing earlier in the year due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, pupils from both urban and rural areas across Northern Ireland submitted their artwork having got busy creating at home.

“As a committed supporter of Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector, it is important to Asda to create an awareness of where our produce comes from. This competition was a great opportunity to do just that and to educate children on the ‘farm to fork’ story. This needs to be emphasised now more than ever as farmers have and continue to overcome numerous daily challenges because of the virus. They have ensured that the production of high-quality, trustworthy produce continues, getting it moved off-farm to shops across the country meaning consumers have no difficulty purchasing food when they need to in Northern Ireland.”

The UFU, Asda and Bank of Ireland Virtual Farm Weekend would like to congratulate the winners of the UFU’s 2020 schools competition:

Nursery – Noah Davison, Tandragee Nursery, County Armagh

Foundation – Ellie Gordon, Fourtowns Primary School, County Antrim

Key stage 1 – Rachel Blakely, Cumran Primary School, County Down

Key stage 2 – Amy Doran, Howard Primary School, County Tyrone

The runners-up of the 2020 ‘“Dig in! to why farming matters” schools competition are as follows:

Nursery – Sloane Heaney, Country Kids Pre-School, County Down

Foundation – Harry Swann, Bush Primary School, County Tyrone

Key stage 1 – Peter Jason Spratt, Balnamore Primary School, County Antrim

Key stage 2 – Aimee McMurray, The Royal School Armagh, County Armagh

//ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The competition is split in to four sections:
Foundation level (nursery, P1 and P2): “Why farming matters”– Decorate a picture of the farmer.
Key Stage 1 (P3 and P4): “Farming through the seasons” – Pupils should design a poster that resembles farming through one or more of the four seasons.
Key Stage 2 (P5-P7): Design a snack for breaktime from one or more of the following local ingredients: Oats; milk or dairy product; fruit or vegetable; meat. Pupils should design a recipe card, creating a snack for breaktime using one or more of the local ingredients listed above.
Special schools: Pupils may enter any section of the competition.
Prizes sponsored by Asda include:
£200 for the winning school in each section plus £250 (in lieu of transport)
£40 for the winning pupil in each section.
£100 for the runner-up school in each section plus Bramley apple tree.
£20 for the runner-up pupil in each section.
“Dig In!” was produced by the UFU with the help of Agri Aware. It is an educational resource teachers can use to help primary school children understand where their food comes from, life on the farm, and the importance of food and farming to Northern Ireland’s economy. For more information visit https://www.ufuni.org/education
Bank of Ireland Virtual Farm Weekend will take place on Friday 31 July, Saturday 1 August and Sunday 2^nd A full list of virtual events is available at: www.openfarmweekend.com