We consider if the next generation of farmers are being sufficiently taught about regenerative approaches.

Agricultural colleges have a crucial role to play in giving the next generations of farmers the skills they need to embark on careers in the industry.

But with a major agricultural transition underway, and farming needing to change radically in response to the climate and nature crises, are these institutions keeping up?

Two NFFN farmers share their thoughts on whether colleges have sufficiently embedded nature-friendly farming in the curriculum.

Elise Sutton - Cherry Lodge Farm, Wiltshire

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at agricultural college, though I studied countryside management, which, on reflection, gave me a different outlook on looking after the land. My course taught me about various types of habitat management, plant and soil science, and practical rural skills such as coppicing, hedgelaying and dry stone walling.

One of the reasons I got into farming was a module in my second year called ‘Livestock in Conservation Use’, where we dived into the technicalities of managing habitats and species with different varieties of livestock, comparing the grazing techniques of cattle versus ponies, or understanding the wider ecosystem processes involved in introducing large grazing animals into landscapes. 

I found this incredibly interesting as it was something that hadn’t really occurred to me as a young conservationist. I had the opportunity to work for a local grazier during the summer, managing his herd of Red Ruby Devons on a heathland site. I then knew that was what I wanted a career in!