A CLASS of seven and eight-year-olds were silenced as they watched a pair of twin lambs being born on a Herefordshire farm, before the coronavirus lockdown.

Although their school is in the countryside, few children have had the opportunity to watch a lamb being born, hold one or even step foot on a farm.

Farmer Bill Quan, who is also chair of Herefordshire NFU, grew up on a farm and has been delivering lambs since he was the same age as the children.

He and his wife, Gina, are passionate about educating children about how food is produced and for two weeks every year at lambing timewelcome school groups for a tour of the farm and a chat about the food they produce.

Alison Gemmell, year three teacher at Kingstone and Thruxton Primary, took children to visit the farm at Kentchurch and said it's important pupils see where food comes from.

“Even though they live in the countryside, a lot of children don’t really know where their food comes from.

“It’s important to know about the food supply chain and how food ends up in the supermarket. If they realise how much work goes into it they might not waste food on their plate.”

Bill explained to the children how he farms in harmony with the environment to produce lamb and grow crops, while also protecting the climate. There are even bees in hives to help with pollination.

Telling the children about how crops are planted in a way that protects the soil, Bill said: “We don’t plough any more. Farmers are trying to do things that are better for the climate. We cut a little slit in the ground and drop the seed in. It stops the soil from running down the slope.”