Farming Futures: Students Explore Careers in Agriculture

This term’s Focus on Farming STEM day was organised by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming).  The day aimed to give students the opportunity to see what a working farm looks like and to explore the wide range of career opportunities linked to farming—not just the typical roles.

North Farm in Aldbourne was an excellent site for the day, as students were able to observe how the team manages the milking of cows and learn about the variety of crops and fields during their tour of the farm.

Activities and stalls were run by a range of companies connected to the farming industry. These included Cogent, which specialises in the genetics and breeding of cows; Drove Farm Vets, who outlined the many roles vets play on farms; T H White, who demonstrated some of the new technologies they are developing; and Agrii, who showed students how they support farmers in maximising crop yield and solving problems when issues arise.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in such an informative and interesting day.

Miss. Van Niekerk

What our students thought of the day!

“I really enjoyed the North Farm trip, especially seeing the cow being elevated into the sky so that it’s hooves could be trimmed. I think that it was a fantastic day out. I loved talking to the company Agrii as they showed me how they protect and test their crops. I am grateful I got to experience a fantastic opportunity to see how a working farm runs.”   Jessica R, Year 9.

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“The STEM trip to North Farm, a working farm located in Aldbourne, was such an amazing opportunity; as well as seeing what goes on behind the scenes to get food into the shops, we also learned lots about all the careers in STEM that you could follow to help a dairy farm.

During our visit, we explored the farm’s diverse operations, including crop rotation, cow nutrition and the technology behind tractors. We learned about the innovative way a cow’s hooves are trimmed, and what makes the perfect milk powder for calves.

The innovative technology used on the farm was particularly impressive, such as precision agriculture. Did you know, tractors can now detect crop health and soil conditions? Seeing these concepts in action made them more tangible, and raised a question – what is the future of farming?

This experience really brought home the relevance of STEM in our day-to-day lives, and showed us just how many different jobs there are in the agricultural industry.”  Elizabeth P, Year 9.

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“I very much enjoyed the farm trip as it was a great experience, and I learnt lots about a cows feed and the way they live their life. I found it really cool when we watched the cow’s hooves being trimmed and I enjoyed visiting all the companies, particularly learning about Drove Vets and their role with the cows. I also really enjoyed the tractor ride. Overall, a great day.” Lola M, Year 9.