Helping Children Connect with Food Again – What Is The Pony Farm Bus?

                           

We're proud to be partnering with the Pony Farm Bus - an exciting new initiative helping bring food education directly into schools and communities across the South West. At Arthur David, food has always been about more than simply supplying ingredients. It's about understanding where food comes from. How it's grown. Who grows it. And helping inspire the next generation to connect with food in a more meaningful way.

That's why this partnership felt so important to us. The Pony Farm Bus is the UK's first mobile food education bus - designed to take hands-on-learning directly into school and community spaces.

Inside the bus, children will be able to explore:

• How food is grown
• Hydroponics and vertical farming
• Cooking and nutrition
• Farming and sustainability
• And the journey from field to plate

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The Pony Farm Bus Community

At The Pony, food and community are at the heart of everything they do — from serving dishes in their restaurant, to growing produce in their garden, to teaching in their cookery school. They also recognise that not everyone is able to easily access their site, which is why they are committed to taking their knowledge, passion and resources out into the community.

Drawing on their experience across Bristol and Somerset over the past 18 years, The Pony team have developed a strong understanding of the challenges around food education and access. Their work with initiatives such as Team Canteen and the Mazi Project has demonstrated the positive impact that community-led food programmes can have, and has played a key role in inspiring the creation of The Pony Farm Bus.

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How Will It Work?

The bus will visit more than 25 schools each year, as well as a range of community groups, delivering engaging, interactive and fun workshops, demonstrations and classes.

Fully equipped with a live hydroponic growing system, chickens, planters, a demonstration platform, and dedicated kitchen and dining areas, the space has been designed to bring food education to life in a compact, mobile setting.

A range of programmes will be available and tailored to each group’s needs, taking into account age, location, and seasonal produce to ensure every session is relevant, engaging and impactful.

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Why It Matters

At a time when more young people are becoming disconnected from where food comes from, initiatives like this have the power to create curiosity, conversation and lasting impact. Over the coming year, the Pony Farm Bus aims to visit 25+ schools and community groups across the South West - helping reach thousands of children through hands-on food education experiences.