Children's Web Magazine

 

In a survey in 2007 it was discovered that a lot of people in the United Kingdom didn't know where food actually originates from.
Children still can't tell the difference between some vegetables and don't know chips are potatoes.
A large amount of people have never visited a farm. Sunday 1st June 2008 is Open Farm Sunday. It is organised by the charity LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming). www.leafuk.org/leaf
There is an opportunity to visit any of the 500 plus farms open around Britain. Thousands went a long last year. You discover what it is like to be a farmer. Each farm has its own activities on offer. This could be anything from a tractor ride, pond dipping or a nature trail. But you could also see how cows are milked and sheep are sheared.
You can even taste the produce. This is a great day out for the whole family and you can even take your own picnic.
Children's Web Magazine has written twice about food. The problem with junk food, school meals needing to be improved, how some foods can benefit your health and how important food and cooking are.
It is a real shame that people don't know where their food comes from. So if you are one of those people who doesn't know their onions here is an explanation.
Root vegetables: Potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, beetroot, swedes and radishes.
Bulb and stem vegetables: Onions, celery, asparagus, fennel, spring onions, garlic, leeks and rhubarb.
Fruiting and flowering vegetables: Sweet peppers, courgette's, marrow, aubergines, tomatoes, cucumber, honeydew melon, musk melon, watermelons, pumpkins and sweet corn.
Brassicas: Cabbage, cauliflower, curly kale, Brussels sprouts, pak choi and broccoli.
Leaf and salad vegetables: Lettuce, spinach, chicory, watercress, rocket, mustard and cress.
Podded vegetables: French beans, runner beans, broad beans, peas, sugar snap peas and mange tout.
Mushrooms: These are fungi
Tree Fruits: Apples, pears, quinces, plums, gages, damsons, peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries and figs.
Vine fruits: Grapes, kiwi fruit and passion fruit.
Soft fruits: Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, redcurrants, strawberries and blackcurrant's.
Tender fruits: Pineapple, oranges, lemons, limes, mango avocado pear, pomegranates.
Nuts: Pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts and sweet chestnuts.
Note: Peanuts actually belong to the podded vegetable family and are a mould.
Meat: Beef comes from the cow. Pork which also includes bacon and ham comes from the pig. Venison is deer meat. Game is pheasant, partridge, grouse, duck, goose, turkey and guinea fowl.
Dairy products: All of these come from cows, goats or sheep. Milk, cream, yogurt (fermented milk) cheese, (curds - curdled milk used to make cheese) are all dairy products.
Grains: Rice, wheat, barley, oats, rye, buckwheat.
So now you know that food is either plant, fungi or animal. It is also vital for our health and well being as they contain the vitamins and minerals that we need. Why not find out more and visit a farm. You don't have to live in the country to do so they now have special farms in cities. To see if there is one near you visit www.farmgarden.org.uk or www.london-footprints.co.uk/visitfarms.htm and if you don't live in the U.K but are interested find out if there is one near where you live.
© Children's Web Magazine 2007 - 2008