At Bridgwater & Taunton College lambing is now well underway and the lambs are doing well as the weather is reasonably mild. Our second year National Diploma students are working hard helping to supervise the first year students.

Field work will soon be starting which the students really enjoy, this links in with the charity Grass to Maize event with Rodway young Farmers – further details to come over the next couple of months.

Our Lambing Fun Day is on Sunday 19 March this year and our students are very keen to take part and show off the things they do at College.

On our courses students study wide-ranging agriculture topics, exploring crops and cropping, mechanisation, nutrition, farm management and livestock production.

In the second year students can specialise in either arable or livestock whilst they develop their skills further in farm business management. They explore management techniques used for decision-making in agricultural businesses.

Students boost their employability and professional skills with at least one placement in industry or the commercial sector.

Students also enjoy practical workshops and demonstrations of the employers in the south west including farm business planning and control, and then apply their knowledge to real farm case studies.

This is what some of the students had to say this month.

Beth Toogood

“It is now a few weeks into our last term here as second year students. Our new subject teaching will be completed just before the Easter holidays.

This month we are lambing, a very busy time of year. We have our Lambing Fun Day coming up on Sunday 19 March which will also be an excellent fundraiser for our Grass to Maize event which we also have coming up just after Easter.

Even though I am on the Mechanisation option course I still enjoy livestock work so have offered to help out on the lambing duties, where I will supervise first year students from 6pm to 6am a few evenings this month.

I look forward to the coming weeks to ensure I complete my course to the best of my ability and then into the future when I leave College.”

Charlotte Scott

“Finally we’re in spring, one step closer to summer! Over the past month we have been continuing with our lectures, with the emphasis on getting the assignments in at as high a grade as we can. I think the realisation that we are finishing College in the next couple of months has really set in.

Alongside assignment work, we have been busy with practicals such as making ‘dung spreader lugs’ and in some cases perfect our welding skills. We’ve also just finished fabricating our personnel trailer in time for Lambing Fun Day.

Aside from College work I have been busy with Young Farmers competing in the county rounds for Situations Vacant, Junior Member of the Year and Entertainments, all of which I have qualified for in the South-West Area round this weekend. This will be a good opportunity to meet up with other members from all over the South-West.”

Ben Peters

“Over recent weeks I have been heavily involved with the pig industry. I have three saddleback sows at home that farrowed last week and they are now rearing 24 healthy piglets between them. I have had these three saddlebacks since they were weaners and now it is great to see them have litters of their own! I also work at a pig farm in Devon. I endeavour to complete the variety of different jobs that need to be completed, from injecting a few day old piglets, to simply feeding and bedding up the sows.

However, very soon I will turning my hand to College sheep as they are well under way with their lambing. I and few other students will be watching and caring for the ewes and their lambs through the night from 6pm to 6am. I really enjoy being involved with the livestock,and the lambing will be a continuation of a very busy few weeks!”

Sol Perry

During my time at College I have been very busy doing my lambing duties and helping out with morning and afternoon cubical duties. I have also been enjoying my farm practical lessons, learning how to service a tractor and the working principles of the machine. At my work placement, I have been very busy checking sheep health and cleaning out and feeding the cattle. I am looking forward to Lambing Fun Day at College on Sunday 19 March where the public can come in to look  around the farm and lambs. Also another event coming up is Grass to Maize, but we are still in the planning process at the moment.

If you would like to know more about studying Agriculture at Bridgwater & Taunton College call our Information and Guidance Team on 01278 441234.