In March 2012 the media reported some alarming results highlighting that children don’t understand where their food and fibre comes from or the significance of farmers. The results came from a survey carried out by the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF) which involved 900 Year 6 and Year 10 students along with their teachers. The survey revealed some concerning statistics including the following:

• 10% of Year 10 students think farming is bad for the environment
• 45% of students surveyed did not associate the bread, cheese or banana in their lunchbox as having come from a farm
• 27% of Year 6 students think yoghurt grows on plants
• 25% of students think cotton socks are an animal product

Three rural women in northwest NSW saw a need to educate, believed they could play a considerable role and indeed felt a responsibility to do so and as a result, ‘Yum Yum Where Does It Come From?’ was developed. The book, targeted at early childhood (babies up to Year 2) is a rhyming tale with illustrations to bring the content to life. It enables children to make a connection between various fresh produce and the animals and plants that produce them. The book further explores the notion of farm produce being fresh and natural and that farmers care very much for their animals and their land.

‘Its land must be nurtured, repaired and restored,
Our farmers do this, ’cause they know there’s no more.’
-‘Yum Yum Where Does It Come From?’