By Debbie James

A very large Hereford bull caused a stir in the playground of a Pembrokeshire school – but this was no rampaging beast, he was very definitely on the guest list.

The bull, owned by Croesgoch farmer Euros Rees, was a member of the Cows on Tour team, an initiative aimed at educating children about where their food comes from.

For one week in May, Cows On Tour, supported by Ibers and Aberystwyth University, visited five schools across Wales with livestock and machinery in tow, including Ysgol Bro Gwaun, Fishguard.

Hundreds of children from local schools participated in the event which was organised by Olwen Thomas, president of Fishguard Agricultural Show, in conjunction with the Cows on Tour team, and sponsored by Dunbia.

The local farming community rose to the challenge with some excellent interactive sessions. Pembrokeshire poultry producer and NFU Cymru county chair, Clare Morgan, came armed with hens, eggs and some interesting facts about egg production while Puffin Produce engaged the children in process of potato production.

Former NFU Cymru president, Pembrokeshire dairy farmer Stephen James, gave an overview of cereal production, from seed to flour.

Farm machinery including a tractor and crop spraying equipment was a big draw, giving children a snapshot of the scale of modern farming.

There were some important messages on farm safety too.

RWAS lady ambassador 2019 Emily Davies, who helped to co-ordinate the event, said it had achieved what it had set out to do.

“We have had a very positive response from the children. There were lots of questions and, with farmers who make their living from the land on hand to answer these, they will have left with a good understanding of agriculture and where their food comes from,’’ she said.

Other sponsors of the Cows on Tour event include Volac, NFU Mutual, Arla and Kepak.