27,28,29 May 20015

So, as you can see by the dwindling days in college, the personal study days and library sessions, we are coming to the end of the brackenhurst experience!

In a couple of weeks time we will be required to attend the presentation to accept (or not!) our course completion awards before being sent off in to the big wide world as qualified farmers! (scary and exciting)

I will be glad to reach the end of my two years on this BTEC extended national diploma in agriculture, there have been highs and lows, ups and down, good bits and bad! but most of all I will be taking away with some brand new knowledge and experiences that will hopefully be put to good use at home.

I have gained a valuable part time job on a dairy farm through the course and I have been on many interesting visits to farming enterprises and agricultural related businesses meeting some very nice people along the way....

... From a brackenhurst agriculture student to a farm girl - lets see where the next chapter takes me!  

21,21,22 May 2015

Wednesday

Root Crop & Field Veg Production - organic farming - the principles, legislation and standards
Farm Habitat Management - UK farming in the next 20 years - the potential changes and expectations
Farm Related Activity - library time

Thursday

Business Management and Farm Business Planning - farm tenancy interview - dragons dens style
Estate Skills - an afternoon with the sheep - applying clik to the lambs - a pour-on fly control solution

Friday

Personal study day

13,14,15 May 2015

Wednesday

Root Crop & Field Veg Production - organic material and organic matter!
Farm Habitat Management - computer session
Farm Related Activity - computer time

Thursday

Business Management and Farm Business Planning - finalising our business plan documents for the judging panel for our 'tenancy interviews' next week!
Estate Skills - fence post correction and finishing off with rails and barbed wire.

Friday

Beef Husbandry - a walk round the farm grounds, putting in fence posts for the run at the weekend
Learner Support - a review session
Combinable Crops - yield counting out in the field
Investigative Project - continuation of project

6,7,8 May 2015

Wednesday

Root Crop & Field Veg Production - field trip - carrot harvesting in Bilsthorpe by Fresh Gro
Farm Habitat Management - Computer/assignment time
Farm Related Activity - Computer/assignment time

Thursday

Business Management and Farm Business Planning - help with our business plan / tender documents
Estate Skills - set up the sheep pens at Newark showground ready for the weekend

Friday

no school for me today!

29,30 April & 1 May 2015

Wednesday

Root Crop & Field Veg Production - Crop and weed ID with live specimens!
Farm Habitat Management - a trip to the Allerton Project - farming for food and conservation purposes.

Thursday

Business Management and Farm Business Planning - the last lesson working on our farm business plans.
Estate Skills - a lesson in strimmer servicing and then putting it to work!

Friday

Beef Husbandry - another rationing session with some example feed regimes to configure!
Learner Support - course work feedback session - got the green light!
Combinable Crops - communication failure - no class!

22, 23, 24 April 2015

Wednesday

Root Crop & Field Veg Production - weevil ID in the spring beans crop
Farm Habitat Management - hedgerow survey - practical session
Farm Related Activity - computer time
*Car dinted for the second time in the brack car-park :(*

Thursday

Business Management and Farm Business Planning - changed to farm related activity - sheep dagging!
Estate Skills - surfaces - maintaining and repairing surfaces around the farm and yard.

Friday

Beef Husbandry - controlling worms and liver fluke in cattle
Learner Support - a discussion about the election campaign
Combinable Crops - soil compaction and how to prevent it!
Investigative Project - computer time for project work

15,16,17 April 2015

Wednesday

Root Crop & Field Veg Production - What crop suits which soils!
Farm Habitat Management - Second survey - Breeding birds (forms part of an assignment)
Farm Related Activity - Library time

Thursday

Business Management and Farm Business Planning - How to make a business plan successfully
Estate Skills - the ewes and lambs are out in the fields, the cattle are out, we went for a livestock boundary check!

Friday

Beef Husbandry - Changed to business studies
Learner Support - Changed to business studies
Combinable Crops - crop walk - identifying growing stage T32 and any disease / pests in the crop
Investigative Project - continuation of project work