Events Programme

 

Recent Events 

 

Organic Grassland Managment, 7 July 2010 at Stephen Gelly Farm Lanivet Nr Bodmin kindly hosted by Matin Collinge. Speaker Dr Heather McCalman, grassland specialist and head of Grassland Developemnt Centre IBERS Aberystwyth.

The event will cover all aspects of organic grassland management including managing permanent pasture, weed control, soil management and improving clover content. It will include a farm walk to see organic beef sheep and poultry. There will also be a chance to view on-farm facilities includng chicken slaughtering, meat hanging, beef and lamb butchering, direct selling of meat, honey production, and charcoal making. Price: £15 if you are a farmer or farm employee (holding number required) or £30 for non eligable participants. 

Booking essential, please contact the Rural Business School on 0845 458 7485.

21 April 2010

Sustainable smallholdings at Lisa and Piers Guy, Higher Keigwin Farm, Morvah TR19 7TS. 11am - 3pm. Speakers: Lisa Guy, Higher Keigwin Farm, Stephen Roderick, Organic Studies Centre and Martin Davies, Organic Consultant. 

March 10th, 2010
Trees: An Untapped Agricultural Asset at North Wyke, nr Okehampton, Devon.  This meeting brought together a number of experts to look at various practical options for combining trees and food production. They examined ways of working with new and established trees to optimise economic, environmental and social benefits as well as afternoon visits to see North Wyke's woodland resources and various research projects. The day was introduced and organised by Louis Philipps VTS training co-ordinator at the Rural Business School. For the full report click here.

Speakers:

Prof. Les Firbank, Head of North Wyke, Introduction to North Wyke                  

Jo Smith, Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, Review of Current Knowledge            

Stella Cubison, Garden Organic, Planting new Orchards                        

Richard Irvine, Wembworthy Education Centre, Social & Educational Benefits             

Adrian Morley, Adding value to Timber Products        

Martin Nesbit, DEFRA, Policy Perspective                             

Stephen Briggs, Abacus Organic Associates, A Farmers Perspective                      

Technical Advisor, Opportunities for RDPE Funding        

The tour consisted of:

Site 1  North Wyke Agroforestry, with Nigel Titchen North Wyke Research

Site 2  Buffer Zones and Wood Chip Corals

Site 3  Willow and Ken's Meadow 

For a full programme of Rural Business School events call 0845 458 7 485 or click here.

Events held in 2009:

October 29th 2009
Organic Dairy cow Welfare. Venue Lakewood Conference Centre, Speakers:  Phil Stocker SA, Iain Rogerson SA, Peter Plate, farm veterinary surgeon, Lindsey Whistance and Stephen Roderick (Organic Studies Centre)

October 12th 2009
'Fair Fare'. A conference to explore how to make food and farming more fair, (achieving a fair deal in food and farming). An event for everyone working in food and farming: People who process and produce food, and people who source food. Held at Duchy College Stoke Climsland in collaboration with Cornwall Sustainable Tourism (CoAST) and funded through the RDPE VTS programme:

Cathy Farnworth - Editor of book 'Creating Food and Futures' Multifunctionality of Food and Farming

Prof David Cooper - University of Durham
Should we be Locavores?

Catherine Mead - Lyner Dairies/Agri Food Council
Keeping it Fair across the Chain

Mel Hall - NFU
How the NFU responds to consumer demand for Fair Farming

Pammy Riggs - Providence Farm & CROP founder
Rearing Poultry with a Heart

David Simmons - Riviera Produce
Caring for our Staff

Andrew Biss - Primrose Valley Hotel
Ticking all the Boxes

Dr Peter McGregor - Cornwall College
Conserving Corn Buntings

Chris Jones - Woodland Valley Farm
The Carbon Dilemma - Improving the carbon footprint of Woodland Valley Farm

Dominic Fairman - South Penquite Farm
Farming within our means: The story of a moorland holding

October 1st 2009
Utilising Home Grown Forage and Food, held at Lipgate Farm, speaker Colin Hamilton, Ruminant product manager for Independant Feed.

August 5th, 2009
Managing the future of your soil—the role of green manures. Garden Organic Open Day at Duchy College Rosewarne with:

Anton Rosenfeld - Garden Organic
Choosing the right type of green manure

Heather MacCalman - IBERS
New varieties of green manures

Stephen Briggs - Abacus Organic Associates
Green manures and nitrogen supply

Francis Rayns - Garden Organic
Novel uses of green manures

Steve Roderick - Duchy College
Growing mixtures of green manures

Ulrich Schmutz - Garden Organic
Green manures - the future environmental and finanical implications

Thursday July 30th, 2009
Utilising Farm Feeds: A farm walk, discussion and look at grassland management using a variety of conserved forages and fodders. Held at Thong Dairy Farm, Barrington, Somerset with Andy King.

July 2nd 2009
Soil Managment - The Forgotten Farm Asset, held at Huntstile Organic Farm, speaker Dr Elizabeth Stockdale, Soil Scientist at the University of Newcastle.

June 30th 2009
Soil Managment - The Forgotten Farm Asset, held at Launceston farm, speaker Dr Elizabeth Stockdale, Soil Scientist at the University of Newcastle.

April 16th 2009
IOTA Dairy Conferenece, held at Cattle Country Berkeley. Speakers were:

Neil Rowe (former organic dairy farmer and OMSCo technical committee member)

William Waterfield Tom Phillips and Mike Tarne (organic dairy advisors)

Tom Tolputt and Tim Downes (organic dairy farmers)

John Bax (ruminant consultant)

Prof. David Beever (dairy cow nutritionist and consultant)

Dirk Zaaijer (Dutch vetinary surgeon specialising in nutrition and cow managment). 

April 2nd 2009
Organic Grassland Conference. This event brought together leading speakers from across the UK specialising in soil science and organic management. Held at Dartington with

David Younie - Scottish Agricultural College
Organic grassland management

Richard Smith - Environment Agency
Managing grassland to reduce run off and soil erosion incl. compaction problems

Lois Philipps - Duchy College
Soil nutrient management and biology

Heather McCalman - IBERS
Legumes, fertility building, manures, rotations

Helen Browning - Soil Association Food and Farming Director
Political directions for organic production

James Moon and Henry Gent - South West Organic Farmers
My Farm, My perspective

April 31st 2009
Forage production, planning and research. Venue, Combe Farm, speaker David Younie, Scottish Agricultural College agronomy services.

March 12th 2009
Lameness in Organic Herds at Coombe Farm, speaker Dr Nick Bell Bristol University.

March 6th 2009
Soil - The Forgotten Farm Asset. Venue Abbey Home Farm, speaker Dr Elizabeth Stockdale Soil Scientist at the University of Newcastle.

January 6th 2009
Elm Farm Conference at Harper Adams University College Shropshire

The Organic Studies Centre and VTS supported the Soil Association Organic Apprenticeship Scheme with a series of seminars on:
January 25th & 26th 2009 Held at Riverford with speakers Roger Hitchens and Mike Westrip
February 22nd Held at Oakwood Farm Robertsbridge with Matthew Wilson
Febuary 23 Held at Emerson College with speaker Euan Keenan 

Please contact Stephen Roderick on 01209 722148 or Lois Philipps on 07740 636455 for details of organic training events. For a full programme of Rural Business School events call 0845 458 7 485 or click here.