The second annual Field to Fork Festival at Harper Adams University on the 4 May was a huge success, with over 10,000 people attending the free event.
Festival goers enjoyed the sunny weather whilst celebrating the single biggest manufacturing sector – food – with a day of interactive activity and fun.
Visitors enjoyed a trip to the working farm where they helped to shear sheep, visit the cows and see the spectacular rotating milking parlour.
There were a number of thought-provoking presentations on the truth about food, as well as an exhibition on the developments of milk and sugar alternatives.
A big hit on the day was a demonstration by Dr Chris Jeffs and Chef Chris Burt, who cooked up a range of dishes packed with edible insects, allowing the audience to learn why insects could be the sustainable food solution we need.
Promoting technology and engineering innovations, there was a robot making workshop, pet x-rays, drone flying, the sawmill machine in action, and Harper Adams’ “Hands Free Hectare.”
The University welcomed 900 children the day before the festival to take part in engaging, hands-on activities. The festival organisers worked with the Government-funded National Collaborative Outreach Programme “Higher Horizons Plus” to bring education on farming and food production to a wider audience.