07 January 2009

Dr Mark Carson, Lecturer, College Of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, Greenmount Campus

Applied, practical and relevant to the needs of the industry are the attributes of CAFRE’s higher level education agriculture programmes.

Students on the HND Agriculture course and the BSc Agriculture Technology programme (jointly delivered with Queen’s University Belfast) selected the UPLANDS option (Uniting the Production of Livestock and Nature Development for Sustainability) within Enterprise Management module and are closely involved with the husbandry and management of the Greenmount Campus 1000 hectare Hill Farm at Glenwherry, Ballyclare.

This farm encompasses hill sheep and suckled calf production from some 1,100 ewes and 100 suckler cow herd. These students recently gave a number of presentations on various aspects of Hill farm management to the enterprise Advisory Board.

This Advisory Board is composed of farmers, ancillary industry representatives and college Lecturers and Technology staff. Advisory Board meetings provide a forum for the students to develop their presentation skills and in addition gain useful advice and feedback on aspects of enterprise policy and performance.

A wide range of topics were addressed and questions fielded on: ewe management pre tupping, ram selection and evaluation, suckler herd management and performance and the principles of the new Countryside management scheme. Of special interest on this occasion was the use of the Rissington Highlander maternal rams on the Texel cross Blackface ewes. This is a new technology project to investigate easy care traits in the hill environment.

The Advisory Board was then given the opportunity to view the suckler herd and replacement heifers and the Rissington Highlander ram lambs that were used this year. Students regard the enterprise management option as a valuable module within their course, enabling them to translate theory into practice and better prepare them for the workplace.

For further information on higher education agriculture courses offered by CAFRE, please contact Dr David Patterson on 028 9442 6652.

Members of the UPLANDS advisory panel discuss aspects of unit management with current students
(left - right) : Seamus Maginn (Downpatrick) Anne Caldwell (Ulster Bank), Cathy Knowles (Cloughmills), Melissa Knox (Broughshane ), Dr Mark Carson (CAFRE), Sarah McAllen (Newtownabbey), Campbell Tweed (Larne ), Mark Johnston (Armagh)

Advisory Board members discuss sheep breeding policy at Glenwherry with students on the UPLANDS project.
Wilson Kennedy (Clare Veterinary, Ballyclare), Kathyrn Taylor (Portrush), Willie Warick (Farm Manager, Glenwherry), Emma Barbour (Annalong), Ian Buchanan (Dungiven) and Stephen Elliot (Lisnaskea)