Arranging a farm visit
Arranging a farm visit is easy. Simply enter your criteria in the farm search tool, find a suitable farm and contact them to arrange a date for your visit.
Preparation is important
The project is aimed at school classes in primary education cycles 3 and 4. There are plans to extend it to further cycles in the near future.
Combining a farm visit with classroom lessons is an excellent way to create a learning experience that stays with the pupils. In our “Learning materials” section, you can find worksheets, posters, activities and games to support your lessons.
The pupils should be introduced to the farm in class beforehand: What does the farm specialise in (e.g. dairy, meat, vegetables, eggs) and what production processes will the pupils see there? Meaningful preparation can provide context for the visit and make the topic more understandable in advance. This stage also provides an opportunity for the children to think of questions they would like to ask the farmer.
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Finding a suitable farm
Start your search in the “Participating farms” section. Use the filters to narrow down your results by distance, date and type of farm. Once you have found a suitable option, you can send a request to the farm with just one click.
The farmer will receive an email with your enquiry and get back to you by email or phone. You can then agree on a date and discuss your farm visit in more detail, so that both sides can prepare accordingly. If you don’t receive a reply within a few days, you can, of course, contact the farm directly. The main thing is to make sure the visit is arranged through the Letzfarm platform, so that there are no issues with the Ministry covering the costs.
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Planning the visit
Discuss the farm visit with the farmer in advance and plan the schedule together. It’s a good idea to hold this initial conversation directly on the farm, if possible. This way, you can familiarise yourself with the location and the route in advance.
Parents should be asked whether their children are allergic to any animals (e.g. dogs, cats, cattle, horses) or to hay or dust. Other allergies or intolerances (e.g. lactose, gluten, nuts) should also be clarified with the parents, as the visit may include food tastings. Any necessary arrangements can then be made beforehand.
The journey to the farm must be arranged by the teacher. We recommend travelling by public transport, if possible. If this is not an option, coach travel can be arranged instead.
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Following up: the key to effective learning
During the farm visit, you and your class will have learned and experienced many new things and gained some valuable insights. But to make sure the experience has a lasting impact, it is important to follow up in the classroom.
Discuss the experiences and impressions in class and use the visit as a springboard to explore the topic further. Note down any open questions and, if necessary, contact the farmer again after the visit to find out the answers.
There are lots of ways you can build on the farm visit, such as creating posters, writing an article for the school newspaper, cooking together in the school canteen, or continuing the project with another farm visit later in the school year.
Zum LernmateriaFAQs for teachers
The project is aimed at school classes in primary education cycles 3 and 4. There are plans to extend it to further cycles in the near future.
Enter your criteria in the farm search tool to find a suitable farm near your school. Then use the contact form to request a visit directly.
The learning experience on a farm depends on various factors, such as the age and size of the group, the type of farm and the season. But the aim is always the same: to explore the farm and its various processes and interconnections with all the senses.
The journey to the farm must be arranged by the teacher. We recommend travelling by public transport, if possible. If this is not an option, coach travel can be arranged instead.
Since the farmer invests a lot of time into hosting your visit, and the farm’s regular work is put on hold during this time, a fee is payable for each visit. This fee is covered by the Ministry of Agriculture within the context of the “Landwirtschaft erliewen” project. This means the visit is free of charge for the school class.
Make sure the roles of the teaching staff and the farmer are clearly defined and not mixed up. The teacher remains responsible for supervising the class during the visit, while the farmer serves as the expert guide and host on site.
The farm visit should last at least 2.5 hours. It can take place either in the morning or the afternoon.
At least part of the farm visit will take place outdoors and will still go ahead regardless of the weather. Pupils should therefore wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the conditions.
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