Growing Number of Farm Schools In UK

BBC:

Increasing numbers of UK schools are starting up their own farms. The 100th opened last month, with at least 100 more planned, according to the School Farms Network. At Reddish Vale Technology College in Stockport, which has had a farm since 1986, pupils face the dilemmas of caring for animals raised for their meat.

Jack, Molly and Jordan, all 12, are shovelling pig dung into a pile and loving it.
Luke, 11, is making sure that Arthur the pig does not escape while they have the gate open "and smash up the rabbit hutches".
The others are busy at work with brooms so that the poo and dirty straw are ready to be transferred to the muck heap where they will rot down and be used to make compost for the school farm's gardens.
They are here every schoolday morning at 7.15 sharp....
It allows the school to focus on issues crucial to the modern food industry, such as where food comes from, animal welfare, poor diet and waste.
Pupils help grow vegetables, fruit and flowers, which they sell through the farm shop. They also help raise livestock that is ultimately sold for slaughter.

Soon a decision must be made about whether a pair of sows that have failed to produce piglets should go for slaughter. Last year the school sold sausages made from its own pigs.

"The future of the pigs is a tough question. We will make the decision but will discuss the options with pupils. I would like them to understand how traditional farming works. The animals are fed and looked after well but ultimately they are sold for slaughter. We have to be strong here and say what this is really about," says Mr Murphy.

There are a hell of a lot of programs more schools could get into to help teach kids about real world stuff.  This is a really good example of what kids can learn.  Kids could do work rehabbing a house or working on vehicles.  Actually, kids on the vocational track get to do a lot of that stuff.  It's the kids in the college track who end up missing out on a lot of that stuff.  That was one of the fun things of growing up on a farm, there are always projects to work on.  Want to learn to weld?  Here's some scrap metal, try it out.  It took me a while to really get into that, but it was damn fun once I did.  Some of the kids who aren't as lucky could use some of the same opportunities.