HUNDREDS of students and schoolchildren will get a flavour of farming at next week's Royal Three Counties Show as the organisers continue to put education at the top of their agenda.

College and school parties from across Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire will receive free entry to the event at Malvern on Friday, June 12 to enjoy demonstrations and educational tours teaching more about the farming industry and the journey food takes from field to fork. More than 26 educational establishments have already registered to attend as the show looks set to be one of the biggest and best yet.

Ken Nottage, chief executive of the Three Counties Agricultural Society, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming so many schools and colleges to the Royal Three Counties Show once again. Offering free entry to budding farmers is something we have offered since the early days and is core to our heritage at the TCAS. This year’s show is guaranteed to captivate the imaginations of the next generation. Every year we celebrate the very best of British farming and want to show young people how fun, engaging and exciting it can be and the careers the industry has to offer.”

The three day event features a whole range of educational activities designed to engage and encourage young people to learn more about the importance of farming. On Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14, visitors can take part in an educational trail from one of the entrances gates and embark on a route with their family. The trail will encourage them to watch key demonstrations, find out fun facts and learn more about farming.

On Friday, June 12, school parties are invited to join two special educational trails themed around key areas of agriculture. The guided tours will take children around "Discover Dairy" and the "Forgotten Skills" trail. This will feature a choice of hands on activities to take part in, such as basketwork, stone carving, woodturning, landscape painting and felting.

The Discover Dairy exhibit will show young visitors more about the dairy industry. Activities including milkshake making, cheese crafting and ice cream tasting, as well as workshops giving visitors the chance to learn more about cows and the story of milk. On the Friday (June 12) there will be a fun demonstration on how to create ice cream by STEM Ambassadors (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) from the University of Worcester.

Schools and collages must pre book to receive free entry to the Royal Three Counties show on Friday, June 12. Details from Sue Verdeyen at sue@threecounties.co.uk