Agriculture students enjoy the practical aspects of their courses as the weather improves

College Students enjoy the practical aspects of their courses as the weather improves. Alan Johnson, Curriculum Manager reports

At Plumpton College, Lambert Farm is an essential educational resource that complements and reinforces in-class academic learning. Our students are provided with practical work and management experience through their course. Students carry out the daily farming operations throughout the year with supervision and support from staff. Students play a fundamentally important role in the farm's operation, including enterprise development and management, production, equipment maintenance, and financial planning. The farm supports practical, hands-on education for students in sustainable agriculture systems.

Read Mia's diary notes for this month, which link to theoretical and practical aspects of an environmental module her group is currently studying.

"The Higher-Level Stewardship Scheme (HLS) is a voluntary, grant-funded scheme managed by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) that is put in place to create environmental benefits by agreement with farmers. Recently our class has been managing an area of The South Downs, removing shrubbery (branches and weeds) to maintain the area. This work is being carried out to comply with the HLS scheme as Plumpton College is funded to keep certain areas maintained for animal life and plant species. Maintaining the grassland gives grass and wildflowers a chance to return and be a habitat for creatures to feel safe in. The field we were targeting was outgrown. There were many features to note when starting work, such as wild garlic growing and logs from broken down trees. 

These features are important because they provide habitat and aren't causing any growth that needs to be attended to, contributing to biodiversity. This task is usually done with the help of each class (not just the first years) as it allows Plumpton College to achieve the maintenance at a faster rate, whilst at the same time allowing students to understand why and how we do this by completing the practical side of this scheme. I found the practical lesson enjoyable as there was a chance for the class to work together, but it allowed me to understand just how much work is needed to control vast amounts of land to contribute to the environment and its creatures. In addition to this, we were given the responsibility to use Hacksaws and Loppers, which in itself was a fun activity for the class to complete essential maintenance for both flora and fauna."

Category: Agriculture