What are the benefits of studying an agricultural course? Live from Barnsley College

On the pod this week, news reporter Chris Brayford visited students and staff at Barnsley College’s Wigfield Farm campus to discuss the importance of agricultural courses in educational settings.

@WigfieldFarm // @barnsleycollege

Should more schools be providing agricultural courses? Should agriculture be featured on the syllabus and curriculum from the moment a child starts school until they leave to kickstart their careers? Can agriculture offer a viable career path for young people to enter the industry and fulfil a dream to a farmer?

We spoke to students at Barnsley College including Jayden Taylor, Emily Hanson, Dana Bradley-Allen and Jasmine Powell about why they have chosen to study agriculture at Barnsley College, the skills they have picked up along the way, alongside their hopes to be the next generation of young farmers. They told us an agricultural course has provided them with confidence to learn and experience new things, alongside strengthening their ability to work as a team and live out a dream to work with livestock and people. Chris also caught up with Barnsley College’s agriculture and animal care teacher, Emily Smith, and Macauley Parkin, the agriculture course leader, about their enthusiasm and passion to help nurture students’ skills in the sector and how they have made courses more accommodating and exciting for students to see the value of agricultural careers. Agriculture provides us all with so many benefits, so is it time to recognise its value in an educational setting even more?

Transcript

Hello, everybody. I'm Chris Brayfordt, and this is the Farmers Guardian podcast.
A very warm welcome to all our listeners far and wide.
On the podcast this week, we discuss the value of agriculture, cultural courses and educational facilities.
So a little while ago, I spent a little bit of time with
students and staff
at Barnsley College in South Yorkshire,
and we discussed the value and importance
of farming, of agriculture,
of animal production,
of animal care and welfare.
Why these
ideals are so important in educational settings across the UK.
And Barnsley College runs its own agriculture course,
and I think that's quite
important
because when I was growing up,
maybe around , , ready to go to college,
there was never that option
of
an agricultural course whether I wanted to pursue a career in agriculture.
Looking back, it would have been very, very difficult.
But now
there seems to be more.
not saying for for everywhere, because there are still educational facilities that don't provide agricultural classes, but those that do,
why are they doing it?
Why is it important to give
young people the opportunity and the chance
to choose agriculture as a viable career path,
and why it's important to learn about it as well.
You know
there should be a case for
there will be a case among many people as to why agriculture should be included in the syllabus.
from a very young age,
until you leave school.
Maybe that's why there's still such a disconnect
between
those that are from nonfarm and backgrounds and
are working and and have worked in farming for, for a very long time.
But anyway, we're going to discuss
why agriculture is so important
to our very special guests on the podcast this week, which include students at the College
Emily Hansen,
Dani Bradley Allen,
Jasmine Powell,
Jayden Taylor.
The teachers as well, and the course leader. So you'll also hear from Emily Smith, who's the agriculture and animal care teacher at Barnsley College
and Macauley Parkin
who's the agriculture course leader
So sit back,
enjoy,
and let's learn together
about the value
of agriculture
in educational facilities in the UK.
Thank you.

My name is Jaden Taylor. I'm
from Hemsworth in Pontefract, and I am studying level two agriculture. I would say fun.
Jasmine. Studying in level two of agriculture. And I'm also from Worcester.
Just if you could just tell us a bit about what it is, on the call so far, what kind of things have you been doing?
Kind of crafting play. And in the classroom as well. What is it that you take in learning?
I learn and build off of the courage to start learning new things. Going out of your comfort zone and, just trying. You best to see how far you can go.
Well, I think, we've definitely my time there. I've definitely built up a good set of friends, and it's, made practical, quite, quite easy to get through because the teamwork is, we've all got a bit of leadership to us. We don't mind asking for help.
we focus on the objectives and get it done straightaway.
so do you come to Wakefield to come to the farm? Quite, quite often to the,
our our course is three days a week.
Yeah. Monday to Wednesday. Nine. Well, after
quite long days. But I do have a long run,
you don't even feel it.
Feel along the. I walk as well. Massive group. Well, our preacher rides just goes by so quickly.
We're all close. But don't leave no one behind. Just work as team.
What is it that your so into the what you thought about careers.
Yeah. It's what you want to be.
I've got, I've got two ideas in mind, but I'm going to go with the agriculture route because that is the course I'm studying.
Ever since I was young, I've always loved and been inspired to help animals.
So I think I'm going to go for the farm vet route, get my head down, study at university, and, hopefully, get somewhere with it.
And I'm thinking if I, if I make it, move to Australia, get a better life, let all the exotic animals one of the things
Yeah, just help animals in general.
I grew up working on their farm, working wages as,
work in workhouses, so,
and, wanting to finish this course and continue where dairy farming obviously were a lot more understanding.
Right. So it's, some of some that I used, work on.
So kind of your, you know, like your classmates and stuff. What kind of what they said to you, what kind of careers do they want to go now? It's it's something similar, very different.
Well, we've got a lot of, variety of, careers, what our classmates want to do.
We've got a friend, named Daniel who did an interview similar to the, sort of a job. And it were a dream job,
which is quite good. Yeah. Everyone's got a different view of what they want to do.
And, yeah, it's kind of fascinating to see how different people aspire to learn, what they want to do.
And so.
But I would not altogether but aspiring to do different things. But now we're working. We're helping each other to get further in lots and
make a future foreign foreign. So, so
a lot. Is it,
I know you said you probably got these words in the background information about them. Was it not the same in yourself,
No, not really.
Then I just took an interest of animals off and,
once, once I was in high school, and I saw that you could actually do animal care for college,
and I just thought that was a dream, since being a child could just go for it. Real.
just there might be kind of a the students who
are in.
It lives in a lot of cities and stuff in town centers. The, the, you know, the college dreams and lonesome do working on the farm, etc..
what runs the College of don't you think it's made?
You think it's made it more accessible? Do you think it's made it more open to to more students, to, to to enter the industry?
Yeah. You know, because honestly, like, if someone wanted to do animals, it's not just agriculture, animal care. There's different types
of like levels that you could do,
if you got,
like when you leave high school and you get higher grades, you could do like Miss Level one, you can go straight onto level two.
And like if you finish level two, you can go on to it like seven more.
So it just gives a wide range variety of what to do.
there's more opportunities for people. So not really get like
I'm getting bored of this. I want to do this. I just get your option.
and you, you can choose to stay on that course.
I'll go on to a different course
just to switch things up.
Yeah, I that, I think, there's, a variety of variety of, animals there as well. So I think once you have that experience with all the animals and words, you can really choose what
what you enjoy more, which animals you work with.
Like last year, I was on level two animal care, and I wasn't really fun working.
I liked to work the bigger animals, a lot of game stock. And
so once the agriculture round, I was like, that is what I want to do. And that's just like you said, changing classes. Yeah. Because I could have gone on to level three. It becomes a new job, but I'm very glad I did this one because I feel like it suits what I want to do more.
it's quite hard, though, isn't to the job itself. You've got,
it really is. It's it puts you in the shoes of what farm is after. So it's kind of
life where doing, like, a cow miles from,
cow barn to back field. We've got a workers team to get them
into that place, because you can't just be like, oh, I don't want to do it.
Can I say out? No, you will not, cos work as a team and you do it as a team.
and it's like it's not even
just the cows with llamas, but sheep.
Pigs. There's different types. Like some people prefer pigs, some the first cows.
But you shouldn't just put less effort into working with one or more animal than what you do with other.
It just, work out like that.
Well, I think I agree with you that again, I think you've always got to work as a team in this part. And I'm a brand, but there's not really an excuse when something needs to be done and you've been given that task. We all, as a group, we all go for it.
Yeah, we might go absolutely soaking wet for, but we get the task done. And
Yeah, we have that teamwork, but it has got to the point. We don't have to actually talk to each other as much like
it's very dangerous job.
No matter what you're doing, you can always get injured.
But I feel like
we've developed as a group that much where we can start to have a laugh,
even in situations where it might be stressful. And so a positive. We make it a good work environment.
think that's why I've had to close it out.
So I yesterday removed, the rules and they're off for staff because all they are but we out staff are move. And we all worked as a team.
Even staff could have got but we all of them helped out
just so a lot. No one's her or anything.
so being on this course, and getting to where you, you on, I know we, we took some of the teamwork aspect of it, but why is it not the.
You love being part of this course? What was it brought, with you as well?
strong, more confident? It's really because
I'm usually I'm more independent person work on my own. But where this course is rather like, can I. Don't be afraid to just ask for help and work, because by a group,
there's many ways to get around it, but you could easily just simply ask, not me.
With this are can you help me with this? Do this with me instead of just struggling on your own,
just like it's brought some comfort from the leadership within me. So it's it's it's a those
I think I think we've all got we've all got a bit of leadership in the group. And I feel like
when something does need doing, I think we all click here.
We get in the zone and we get it done. And I think it brought out confidence in everyone.
there's some people that were on my course, which I'm still friends with. And we were saying last year, oh, it's a new group there. So I'm kind of nervous. I don't know whether they're like us or not, but when it actually comes to it, we're all fun and it's a good group.
It's positive.
it's just it's just easy if, like,
some people say education boring, but I wouldn't call it boring or it's a fun experience.
would you recommend the course to tell the the components about it? And and if so, why?
Definitely because it just brings
more confidence. Leadership.
Well, I feel someone also acquire a
new person like I.
I was quiet when I first started
working with Jed and, and all of us just brought more confidence in me.
So, I would definitely,
want other people to experience what we have.
So it's like you not only bringing
out to yourself, you're doing more things that not a lot of people get the opportunity to do.
So yeah, I would definitely
well, I think like I said, it's fun experience,
with some people that I know, it helps, you know, be fearless as well. So you've got a big scary California,
but if you know what you're doing, it becomes less scary each and every time you do it. And, it does. It makes you grow as a person.
But I also think,
if there's certain things that you want to do
and there's not
a lot that goes up on the farm as a honestly given a book. Also try because you never know.
I thought I wouldn't like agriculture, but I went for it and, I'm glad I did. Really.
just give Wakefield Farm a chance and hope you develop as a person.
Really lastly,
this, this
a growing situation of agriculture. So if you take this course, you look a little bit further afield. It take time. You Clarkson's I don't want to. Oh no. Got the Commonwealth farm not too far away. You know the the kind of the television programs. You think there's a growing appreciation of the local culture
Definitely. Because
sometimes you see some some of the people doing agriculture check got this big farm, but it's only them.
we've also we've got a team on it and
it's easy to get it done, but it's not easy at the same time. It is hard work and you've got to follow us. And so having one month, woman on a farm on the road and, and stuff, I think is
really awesome and does make me appreciate how much of what you have after,
go in and I feel like, agriculture, you kind of keep the world spinning as all five
animals and give them give a lot at
will be food for one.
like with your domestic,
animals as well can give you loyalty. All these things. Like we've got a dog grooming roommate.
can learn a lot of stuff. Like you can learn how to cook your own dogs, of other things, like,
it's just
big opportunities of it really?
Wide range.
Anything. Because it's not just we're looking after animals. We're building like places from wildlife, environment, from, like, work, horny corners at top.
Just at top. We built a minimal outside enclosure. So it's like not just any animal can go out there
so public can see instead of just going into,
pig barn.
So it's like, there's more to just looking after animals.
it will not long since like for a lemon season
that gave us an opportunity to help out with lambs.
And,
there were a couple of sheep that struggle. So we helped my.
just gives you a proper wide range of what to do.
Like from big animals like bull cows to smallest ones like snakes and spiders,
all different types

my name's Dani, and
I'm studying it with Wigfield Farm,
and my name's Emily, and I'm at Wigfield Farm.
What is it that you've learned from the course so far?
minting wellerman, which we're really excited and would really enjoy. So very hands on with that.
we've built new enrichment and enclosures for animals. So not not pig enclosures, which really interesting to do
I've learned that, trim sheep's hooves, together.
we didn't have to rake in and stuff all different stuff for sheep.
And that's my favorite.
Once she finished the course.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
So I've mill an infusion
Which involves anywhere.
I would like to go to a job with sheep, but I don't mind pigs and cows.
How much have you enjoyed the course?
a little bit.
Yeah, I was a little bit.
How much of learning, what shapes of help to do everything.
The thought is loads and a lot of different things that you won't learn on the things like fencing and building new enclosures, which we will need in a future only on his own, and we'll come across it at some point. They've taught us that, and some people don't.
Now, Emily, I believe you've got some good news to share. And that you also featured in a young farmer focused column for Farmers Guardian.
they've put me in for the young champions in the Chronicle.
How does that go ahead? It's really good. I'm excited.
And there's a job, I hear two.
It's working for a farmer, and he's got sheep.
So I've been working with him.
We've been doing shearing, so I learned to wrap fleece
and A under different shape that we've not got here.
So more commercial breeds. It's a lot different.
Do you get to work with a lot of farmers on the course?
I've seen different farm because
there is a lot around me that we know. So they have a do out with. They always call me sometimes.
Well, the job as a farmer, it can be really, really challenging and difficult to answer. You know, there's you've got you've almost got to be made of steel to work as a farmer. And it can be really difficult.
You just want to see how you want to achieve it
the way it when.
What would you say to people that are in a similar position to yourself? You know, maybe thinking backmonths ago.
What would you say to them
about wanting to study agriculture?
I'd recommend coming on represent.
Why?
Because they'll learn a lot and teach yourself a lot. If they are stressed when the first come, the will out from everywhere possible and all gain fall.
And the best way to do everything
And finally. What?
What does farming
mean to. To both of you?
a lot.
Why? It's just a passion. It's always been missing. So I want to do.
I was been with, It shows what you dedicate to do something,
and it means you're hands on and you willing to do anything, whether it's weather conditions or anything.
You got to do it. And it's hard,

I'm Macauley Parkin. I'm the
course leader for agriculture as well. Some of our courses that we do down about the college and we do animal care, animal management, horticulture, agriculture. So we do quite a lot, do last do dog grooming and adult courses as well. And I also work quite closely with, Emily Smith and Emily.
I also teach on the agriculture level two. That's level three. I teach on the animal care, and then I specialize in wildlife conservation on FFA and AG.
Really? Could you tell us a bit about the courses, available at the college? Specifically for school?
Yeah. So currently this year we are doing level two agriculture. It's the first year that we've run it in ten years, I believe, down at the hands of college.
But we are it has been very successful. Students have learned quite a different skills that they've come in with.
we're going to we are now running a level three agriculture course out in September. Soout of , our, our students are progressing onto that course, which is really, really good. I'm quite happy about that.
Mostly because they want to come back and get some extra industry skills because they can come back and do tractor driving, which they are very excited about. And, we're also going to do quite a small industry trips. So even though this year we did take them to an auction, so we took them to the Ravelry jock auctions and we took them this
match at the main match.
So we took some our our students up there just to see what a real life auction was. So you got to see all the different animals and experience it, which has led on to us doing our own mock auction down here. We're not going to sell our animals, but they're going to go for all the different skills and handling skills and, working out guineas compared to normal pounds at that should be very VAT and everything else too.
And maths, any way you can speak as quickly as, oh I'm going to do, do I do it. It's going to be very entertaining. Yeah, it's going to be more about the students, kind of taking that responsibility, getting all the animals moved in the right positions and kind of having that confidence, doing that without so much of us telling them what they need to do.
Yes, we are trying to do that. All stand back, are we? Let them show what skills that they've developed over this academic year, because quite a lot of our students have progression students. We've got some new intake from our colleges that have come in.
it's it's been really interesting to just to see how many students have just wanted to do it with farm animals, because we've never given that option.
It's been exotic animals as well as small animals and farm. We've got quite large and it's just to just want to work with animals that yeah, yeah, we want to be pig farmer, sheep farmers, cattle farmers. They don't want to work with reptiles. That's a different niche for some of our students in tech. But I think doing this level too, it's shown the other animal students like this is an option.
You can just specialize in livestock. And so it showed them those possibilities for careers in this that then maybe not thought that they were open to. Yeah a couple and change their minds aren't they. So we asked them again in the year what cost. What you mean what type of animals. That it's farming. So some said sheep farming, some said dairy.
Only a few others swapped out their a lot in a stuck to what their main intention was. There's still a passion for sheep. You know they've worked with them for this past academic year. But yeah they really want to go work on some actual farms next year or there. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to take them to a few different farms beef, dairy, some pig farms.
We're trying to find a poultry farm as well. Yeah. Take them up to the deer farm, see how that runs. That was impressed as well. Yeah, that's what we're just trying to get him into real life situations, scenarios they can to see how good it is, but also how hard it can be as well. So they can see that it's, it's more of a passion and a career in today's lifestyle.
More than just a job, which a lot of them really want to do. They really like the the lifestyle of it. They're all starting to wear boots and Wellington tweed. Look like farmers. They're a little bit of tweed currently. Strange. I don't know why. On wax jackets I'm often it's less about the fashion and more about the animals.
But we'll we'll see as we go through that. They have the fashions taken up. Oh yeah. I think it's good because a lot of them's come in thinking I'm not from a farming background. There's not chance me getting a career in it. But then coming on the course and realizing I want chickens, I might want a sheep, you know, in my own lifestyle.
But I have a career at the side. We show them that they can do both. They can integrate it. They can be harvest farmers if they want to. Yeah, got to be them because a lot of farmers have said they have to get other jobs as well, and they just to support their actual farm and that's what they want to do.
But we're looking at level three demographic, say someone go to university somewhere, hopefully get them jobs in farms, but we'll help them look at grants that are available and then many tenant farmers and stuff like that. But some have already applied for jobs. I don't think we've got some applied to a car fragrance and, and, farm laborers and stuff already that way.
Yeah, hopefully they can progress and then get their own farms and be managers in the near future when they contact them,
I think it's quite unique because all the setting up wheat fields,
it's a place where you buy, you say the students come and learn all those essential skills that they'll need on their journey to and train.
Yeah. As well. And there's, you know, there's a there's a variety of things, whether it's the practical all the, the learning.
Yeah. They've got the can get them skills. I mean a sheep's a sheep, no matter what breed it is, they can work their skills and then they can go and do it. Market, manage that different farm
we have a small herd of cattle that once have worked for cows.
They can go and work with large numbers of cows in industry. They can get those skills of those and then they can go out employment practice, as long as we can give them that skill set style with which we can, we can. It's going very well. I think a lot of the skills, it's also the practical hands on with specific animals.
It's the wider skills as well. So it's the confidence work with the different types of animals, also communicating with different people of like we've got a lot of different. Yeah. And the leadership qualities, it's been quite interesting seeing which ones can come out of the shells and be in charge of a sheep move. The most stressful thing in the entire farm industry.
Moving farm animals never go making sure that they use the correct language, and they don't get upset with each other and then use in their initiative if something goes wrong, like who reacts quickly and then maybe discussing with them like what they could have didn't differently. And then next time you do see something like that, you can see them people thinking, I did that last time.
I know I need to maybe react a bit quicker. I'll be a bit more confident in how I approach the animal. You can see them skills kind of set and do that quite a lot that way. Beginning in September, we got them straight afterwards or right, right. Swot analysis, what went well, what went wrong, how could you make it better.
And a few weeks in we just went right, this is what you're doing. And we just stood back and let them do it. And they were interesting. So you actually came through the cracks and became a leader and took charge in there? Yeah. The ones unexpected as well. That was a nice little lamb. Oh, God. Yeah. You see those natural, confident skills coming through work on the it's changed how they approach the course as well because they've from that early stage thinking, oh actually I have got these skills.
I come the confidence and you can see they've become students that we weren't really initially expecting them to be as like as involved and stuff to grow. And I'm out there. Yeah. They have for
I think it's quite important as well. The if you want to want to be coaching, you don't necessarily have to live in the countryside or live rural life because
around the college, it offers free transportation from the town center to, you know, the rural locations like this.
Oh yeah. We feel, you know, they'll be many students. So.
We'll be thinking about they they may want to enter agriculture, but they're in like a town center, a city center. Agriculture is for everybody.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. I mean, like you're saying, when you come down to Wakefield Farm, it was, bro, you feel like you're a million miles away in the countryside, but actually you're ten minutes away from the town center.
And we do have that free bus service that picks up in the local area, affects students from all over. Students from Wakefield, Rotherham.
Stocksbridge that travel in because they have that option, whereas normally they'd have to catchorpublic busses. They'd never be able to get in there on time. They'd have to go to a different provider that didn't have the same facilities.
hopefully
that is something now that can attract more students to come down into agriculture, because it is easier to get easier for some people. Is it compared to going to other providers?
It's a bit it's so much closer to home for firm to get those skills that offer it.
Yeah, you
you can understand the hesitation and thinking.
I live in an urban area farming, agriculture, countryside. It's not something I have access to, but, you know, access links are there. It's showing that it's it's everywhere. It affects everyone. It's not. You're trying to bring embarrassment with it. You have got to be in a farming family to be a farmer.
Farming is everything you need a farm, a three times a day, breakfast, you on it.
They are there for everything and that's what we're trying to get into that we, you know, after just spent producing some eggs or some beef, there's a million different possibilities to work in industry. How are you working in office? Are you work outside with your allies all
There's always opportunities. Don't matter if you come from somewhere.
Farm is there's always careers. We've got lunch and it's interesting. I mean a difference back to this year. So they're going to come out come back hopefully. And that may be one of our insights is from from different a couple of years that we're very interesting. We just
there's also a lot of dedication as well from students on the courses.
And because that's on the,
look
up the locks, as most farm is on that pull in, that's yeah, it's on. I mean, if they really wanted to do well, but
yeah. So I'm going to put an extra amount I'm going extra days into work experience here on the farm and with our actual farm team and then some engineering off their own.
But I haven't. It's not a part of the course. They have to they have to do work experience. They've either asked or we've said it's available and they've got an arrange themselves.
So we had students ask for extra lambing placements for us to connect them to farmers that might need help during lemon. So we showed them the basics.
We built the skills and confidence up with, lemon here. And then they went off during the summer. Sorry. Through the holidays, they went to work together. Farms. Yeah. Well, I think all of them are keen to do that in the level three. Yeah. Yes. Farms around placements and stuff to build the experience
what's the value then of agricultural courses. Why should
I know. It might not be good for the competition but watch it. More educational settings offer courses like this. Why should they make agriculture show more important than it is? Because you know that there could be an argument.
from
my time in education, you know, but ,years ago that there wasn't courses like this now.
So what's the value?
I think it's because there's that niche now that there is quite a negative side to the industry that's being portrayed, you don't get that positive side back in. And like you say, there hasn't been any of those courses. Like we've not run it here for ten years, but now we have and the the need is there.
You know, the local farmers and the local industry are telling us that they need people that actually are trained.
there isn't those people out there that have got the skills, the qualifications, you know, that they want that they want that skill sets in. The wider skills that we can develop, the skills for the animals so they can also work with them while they're into retraining themselves.
So if we can get that done here, they can go straight to them and they can have a job. And that's what a lot of people are asking for. They want people that have got those skill sets, rather than just someone who's got a general animal knowledge or no animal knowledge, because not a lot of people want to work in farms because they didn't know that were available,
because they were heading out of the way.
They're out of the limelight so that there could be no negative side. So these people are going to go out and
work with farms that were invisible before this year. Yeah. And now we've contacted them like, yes, please, can we have some students, can you come affection to us. And you know well, we'll be able to tell you what skills that they want, we want them to have.
And then we could offer him a job year after. They're asking to sort of handpick some fruit,
and they're quite happy to work with us now. Whereas before they wanted nobody to come in because they want to know it's an, you know, get the wrong idea.
Think farming comes under a lot of criticism like that, the impact on the ecosystem environments as well.
I think being able to show students that farming practices
can work alongside environmental like,
methods, and it's showing the students and introducing them so that when they go into industry, farmers who maybe don't have that understanding, they can work with the students. So it's giving our students a bit more like this is a bit of a extra thing to be aware of that you can go in already prepared for so more sustainable farming practices educating both sides.
I yeah educating the students then to go and educate and the people in industry
get those skills back in because some people never go and get those skills are just top back and forth out there for the families,
and they need to be up to date in some areas to help them make it more profitable. Yeah, and better for the environment as well, showing that farming is a form of conservation.
I could work alongside each other. It's not the enemy. Yeah.

And that's a wrap.
Thanks to Emily.
To Dani.
To Jasmin.
To Jayden.
To Emily.
And to McCauley and all the stuff at Barnsley College.
For all their time and effort in recording the podcast.
So that's it from me.
Take care of yourself.
And goodbye.