GETTING young people interested in farming is a hot topic in the agricultural world at the moment and specialist team were on hand at Camelford Show to give youngsters a hands-on experience of what farming is all about.

Emma Parkyn was at the showground representing the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association’s Farm & Country Days, an educational event held annually which seeks to provide Cornish primary school children with an interactive learning journey to see how their food travels from farm to plate.

She said: “We go around the county to local schools teaching them about farming – where their food comes from and how it goes from field to plate.

“We attend shows like this regularly as it is a great way for us to show people what our Farm & Country Days offer.”

There were plenty of activities for the youngsters to engage with, including ‘Demelza’ the goat — a plastic goat who had functioning ‘teats’ which gave children, and adults, the chance practice the technical art of milking.

Emma added: “We focus on giving them a real hands-on experience, like today we have our goat milking station, which has been popular. It gives children the chance to have a go and is a really great way for us to engage with them on the important topic of farming.

“It is very important that we get the next generation involved in the conversation and shows like Camelford are a great way for us to get the message out there.”