The children’s book series that teaches kids about where their food comes from
When your child eats yoghurt or a lamb chop, do they know where it comes from?
Don’t worry if the answer is no; you aren’t alone.
Does yoghurt grow on trees?
In fact, research has found there is a huge gap when it comes to primary school kids’ knowledge about where food comes from.
The results showed that three-quarters of Australian primary school children believe cotton socks come from animals, and 27 percent thought yoghurt grows on a tree.
Yikes!
That’s where George the Farmer comes in.
Listen to Simone Kain on Feed Play Love:
The brainchild of Simone Kain and Ben Hood, the pair created the educational character to teach children about the journey food takes from paddock to plate.
“It wasn’t until I started writing the first book that I came across pretty staggering statistics about what kids don’t know about food, so that’s where the educational side came into it,” Simone says.
Inspiring kids around the country
The mum of three explains she initially came up with the idea of George the Farmer as a way to keep her farm-obsessed toddler entertained after the birth of his twin brothers.
“I was trying to find something that would help keep him entertained that he could fall in love with when I was busy with his soon-to-be brothers. I was actively looking out for inspirational apps and books on farming for him. In particular, a farming character because I just wanted him to fall in love with something that he enjoyed and could be passionate about,” says Simone.
It wasn’t long before Simone discovered a massive gap in the market and set out to do something about it.
“My business partner, Ben and I also have a creative agency, so we do branding and website development and things like that. And it dawned on me that there was this opportunity for us to create a character that could inspire lots of little farm kids around the country, which was based on a farm and talks about what actually happens on farms every day.”
We love George
Simone and Ben put their skills to the test – and aren’t we lucky they did? With six books under their belts and a seventh on the way, it’s clear that Aussie kids are loving George.
If the books weren’t enough, George the Farmer educational videos are now available on ABC iview and ABC TV, so your little ones can catch George any time of the day.
For more information on George the Farmer, visit the website.
