A COLLABORATION between Wiltshire College & University Centre and a group of farm consultants means agriculture students are benefitting from real-world skills and knowledge.
The Farm Consultancy Group (FCG), which has an office in Kington Langley, visits the college’s Lackham campus every week to run workshops, activities and farm visits aimed at reinforcing the second year Level 3 students’ learning.
FCG has eight offices across the South West, Lincolnshire and Staffordshire and more than 20 independent consultants who advise hundreds of farmers on everything from farm management and accounts, strategic planning, data analysis, dairy records and technical advice and contracts.
Bringing learning to life
Hannah Davis, Deputy Head of Faculty for Land Based Studies, said the collaboration means students are getting first-hand knowledge from acknowledged experts. “The relevant consultant will come in for three hours and, if we are talking about crops for example, they’ll have an initial classroom workshop and then they’ll go and do a farm visit before they come back and do a project on what the students have learned at that farm,” she said.
“It’s great for the students because what they are learning from FCG will add value and cover topics they might not necessarily need to know for their exams. It ties everything they’ve learned with us together and puts it into context and makes it more applicable to what they’re doing when they’re out on farms.”
Among the topics affecting farms every day being covered by the consultants are arable farming, mental health and health and safety, pigs, dairy, pollution and waste control.
She says the real-world experience of the FCG experts gives the students a different perspective. “That’s what brings the sessions to life because it’s one thing just teaching them about the farm assurance scheme, for example, but for them to hear a consultant tell them ‘we’re going to do this now, you’re going to go and create it and then we’re going to go to a farm and talk about it’ is really powerful.”
Building confidence and industry connections
Agricultural courses at Lackham have seen record numbers of applicants this year and Hannah believes the FCG’s involvement can make students more employable.
“Because they are going out to farms and meeting more farmers they are increasing their network, building links and making a bit of a name for themselves,” says Hannah. “For the students who don’t come from farming backgrounds that’s really important because it gives them a chance they otherwise wouldn’t have to make contacts.”
“We talk about their personal branding when they go out on these farm visits and that’s what it’s designed to do.”
She says the visits are not only helping students increase their knowledge, it is building their confidence. “I’ve definitely seen an increase in their confidence and ability to communicate,” she says.
“They’re more reflective and they’re thinking about the questions they pose and are more confident in discussions. The sessions give them a lot they can apply to what we’re teaching them and for those who are from farming backgrounds, they can apply it to what they’re doing at home on their own farms.”
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