FARMER Simon Bainbridge took a big red tractor with him when he visited his local school to drive home the "Back British Farming" message.

The organic beef and lamb farmer from near Cambo in Northumberland, spent a day at Cambo First school telling the children about where their food comes from and encouraging them to enjoy local produce.

A keen supporter of the Red Tractor logo, which appears on a huge range of food and drink products, he also joined forces with local machinery dealer Carrs Billington to take along a big red tractor for the children to sit in.

Mr Bainbridge, who sits on the NFU regional livestock board, said: "We had a great day talking to the children about the work that farmers do to feed local families.

"It is crucial for the future of our local farming industry that people young and old value the work we do and support us by looking for the Red Tractor logo in the shops – a guarantee that food is farmed and prepared to very high standards that are independently approved.

"This really is a vital message and one that I hope we delivered with an extra helping of fun."

The school serves locally produced food wherever possible and Mr Bainbridge donated some of his hill lamb to make an extra special lunch.

Head teacher Paula Cummings said: "We want our children to know what high-quality local produce is, and make sure we provide this in our school lunches. Lamb has been a much underrated meat source in schools, which is sad when you think how many sheep surround our school, but we aim to put it back onto the menu.

"The children clearly enjoyed learning about farming with Simon. The next stage is to make some delicious meals with the lamb he gave us and we are looking forward to sampling everything from hotpot to shepherd’s pie."

Mr Bainbridge said: "Northumberland is home to thousands of sheep and we produce some of the best lamb in the country – it is a real speciality of the Cheviots.

"While lamb is a firm favourite for many, research tells us that young people are choosing it less often. That’s something we are seeking to change and what better way than giving youngsters a taste of what they are missing.

"The industry is working hard to develop new cuts of lamb to make it more accessible for people with hectic lifestyles and the message is very much that lamb is not just for Sunday!"