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Agri Aware’s Farm Walk and Talk 2016 was launched on a beautiful, crisp, blue-skied day in Teagasc Grange just outside Trim in Co Meath on Thursday.
This event sees a total of 2,500 ag science students from 80 schools across the country visit active farms and eight different centres of excellence, such as Teagasc Grange, to gain a practical insight into Irish agriculture for their Leaving Cert studies. Students engage in applied learning on working farms and hear talks from leading experts from across the Irish agri-food industry.
Agri Aware chairman Richard Moeran spoke at the launch and noted that this programme is a result of support from a combination of different organisations. “It’s important we recognise the roles of Teagasc, IASTA and Agri Aware ... but just as important is the fact we also have the involvement of industry.”
Industry talks
Throughout the week-long event, representatives from ABP, Dawn Meats, Kepak and Liffey Meats will provide educational talks and presentations on the meat industry, while dairy industry experts will be on hand also from Glanbia, Dairygold, Dairymaster, Lakeland Dairies, Aurivo, LacPatrick Co-op and Arrabawn. Gouldings and Grassland Agro are also there, representing the fertiliser industry.
Richard noted these interactive days on farms give students a unique opportunity to engage directly with potential future employers.
“I always say the future captains of industry might be here today,” he said. “And if that spark is ignited by a conversation or something you might see here today, that’s really what this is all about. You’ve seen the classroom side of agricultural science and today you’ll now get an opportunity to see how it actually works.”
New syllabus
This year the Farm Walk and Talk series coincides with the release of a draft agricultural science specification for Leaving Cert students by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).
Agri Aware chief executive Dr Vanessa Woods and former Agri Aware chairman Mr Bernard Donohoe initiated the process and they had formal roles on the NCCA development group to deliver this specification.
Richard Moeran said: “It’s been a difficult long process to get this far, but we’re at the point now where we’ll be able to deliver a new ag science syllabus.
“Industry has had an opportunity to have an input into that new specification, and as far as I’m aware no other exam that you’ll be taking for your Leaving Certificate will have had input from industry.
“In other words, industry is able to say ‘it’s important that these are in the exam’, that ‘this is focused on’, and ‘we don’t need that anymore because it is not relevant in today’s world’.”
Read more about draft ag science specification here.
Agri Aware is a farming and agri-food educational body which delivers interactive, educational and consumer awareness initiatives for primary, second- and third-level students and the general public.
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