UCD Lyons Farm welcomed students from Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford, Westmeath, Laois, Offaly and even as far as Donegal to give them a practical insight into many of the themes in the Leaving Certificate agricultural science syllabus.
Agri Aware Farm Walk & Talk returned to UCD Lyons Farm in the middle of lambing season and the ag science students even rolled up their sleeves & helped deliver some of the new arrivals under the watchful eye of Professor Tommy Boland.
Farm Walk and Talk is a longstanding collaboration between Agri Aware, Teagasc, UCD and the Irish Farmers Journal.
The senior-cycle students made their way around the stations that covered topics linking in with the new Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science syllabus including Crops and Machinery, Farm Health and Safety, Dairy, Multi-Species Swards, Lambing and Equine and included talks from Agri Aware and an introduction into studying Ag Science, programmes available and Research UCD by PhD students Shane Maher and Ruth Connolly.
Dean of Agriculture and Head of the School of Agriculture and Food Science, Professor Frank Monahan was also on site to welcome Agri Aware to Lyons for another year of this great event and spent time chatting to students about their experience of the day.
Professor Monahan commented: “The UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science is delighted to host the Agri-Aware Farm Walk and Talk event again this year and to welcome over 650 students from 28 schools to our UCD Lyons Farm.
We see this initiative as a very important one in supporting Agri-Aware’s objective of raising awareness of the importance of the Irish agri-food sector among the public at large.
The students who visit the farm today will influence the future development of the Irish Agri-Food sector, some by becoming directly involved in farming and food production, others as consumers. Understanding the essential role agriculture plays in delivering a secure and sustainable global food supply is critical. Today’s event will contribute to that understanding”
Marcus O’Halloran, Agri Aware Executive Director said: “The Farm Walk and Talk is an important event for Leaving Cert Ag Science Students and gives them the chance to put the theory into practice.
Agriculture is hands-on and events like the Agri Aware Farm Walk and Talk provide students with an insight into the practicalities of farming and the hard work that farmers do each day.
“It’s great today just to see so many students back, in-person enjoying the event, thank you so much to UCD Lyons for hosting what was a brilliant day.
“We hope those who take part will leave with a greater understanding of what a future in agriculture could be and how these students might help to shape it.”