This was a back-to-basics course designed to introduce non-farmers and people who have had very little experience to the agriculture sector.
The course included how modern agriculture in the UK works, types of farming, the farming seasons, how profits are made (or lost), and all the various countryside management schemes and ecology issues that affect farming today.
Theory and Practical Farm Site Visits Combined
The theory element was combined with some practical site visits to both arable and dairy farms which are part of the Bathurst Estate which the RAU have a partnership with.
The farm visits provided a great way to see some of the innovation going into farming from cows wearing pedometers to help provide information about their health and well-being, to robotic feed pushers to reduce labour costs, waste and encouraging higher feed intake.
Working With Farmers, Landowners and Rural Land Agents
The Catesby business means we spend a lot of time dealing with farmers, landowners and rural land agents.
It is therefore important when we are visiting farms, walking sites and building relationships with landowners that we have a basic understanding of the agricultural sector.