St Chris students get feel of farming at Peninsula

St Chris Year 4 students had an opportunity to visit Peninsula Farms in the south of the island on December 8 and 9.

Peninsula Farm is an amazing facility that uses modern hydroponic farming. The children discovered how efficient and environment-friendly this method of farming is.

Hydroponic growing uses no soil but just plants in beds where they are nourished by nutrient-rich water.

This method of farming uses no pesticides and little water, using 75 per cent less than in traditional farming methods.

Ten greenhouses, having the size of a football pitch, are kept at optimal temperature and have controlled sunlight levels to allow year-round growing, something that would not be possible in Bahrain. The children also learnt about the environmental and nutritional benefits of buying local fresh produce.

Many were surprised at the size of the greenhouses and the variety of crops produced here in Bahrain.

The highlight of the day was a visit to goats, who were out at play area during the visit. The farm uses organic vegetarian feed to produce high-quality milk, which has many nutritional benefits compared to cow milk.

James Wilkins, teacher and subject leader of Design Technology, said: “The welfare and care of the animals was evident as well as the company’s mission to produce high-quality products.

The children also received a gift selection of fresh produce to take home.

“We are extremely grateful to Peninsula Farms for letting us visit and for Hamad Hazeem, the Business Development Manager, for sharing his knowledge and passion for quality hydroponic farming with us,” he said.