About Us

Nick Rebbeck farmed in the Lampeter area for nearly 30 years in partnership with Patrick Holden. The farm has been organic since 1973 and in the Tir Gofal farm stewardship scheme since 2001. Under the terms of these schemes, farms are required to maintain their land in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner and receive payments for doing this. Participating farms in the Tir Gofal Scheme are given the opportunity to host six educational school visits per year in which schoolchildren tour the farm and learn about environmental issues and food production.

Nick derived a great deal of satisfaction form these activities and was saddened when school visits to all farms were stopped after 21st February 2001 as a result of the Foot and Mouth epidemic. Because it was no longer possible to take schoolchildren to the farm, Nick decided to take the farm to the school.

With 20 years experience in film making, he made a short film about the farm to take to schools. It is called 'A Year in a Day' and is very well received in the classroom. Nick has now sold his interest in the farm but still keeps an active involvement as educational officer co-ordinating visits on 8 to 15 farms in the Counties of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

In 2004, Nick was assisted by the Soil Association to work on a pilot scheme in association with OCW (Organic Centre Wales) and FACE (Farming and Countryside Education) to co-ordinate 25 school visits with 4 Organic and Tir Gofal farms. Because of the pilot's success and popularity with teachers, he achieved 40 visits. 95% of these were first time visits and 100% said they would like to come again. Based on this success, in 2005 he received new funding via the Soil Association from CCW, the National Assembly and Enfys to continue this valuable work. Nick now operates through Learning on the Farm Ltd (LOTF) which covers Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Llanelli, Swansea and the Gower. Working with Jill Simpson, farmer and teacher, they have accomplished over 400 visits in 4 years, which equals approximately over 10,000 people linking Food, Health, Education and Conservation with Farming and the Environment. For further details contact our education officers.

Our main aim is to make people aware that there is a fantastic resource close to every school and college which offers 'real education' - A Farm !

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