Getting pizza action as the combine rolled
Last Tuesday we had the opportunity to share with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn the work of some of our academics, researchers and students in the fields of entomology, dairy cow behaviour in our new robotic dairy and precision agriculture.
The research they are all undertaking will help provide new techniques and technologies for the industry to improve farming practices and farm business productivity. The visit was one of a number over the last year aimed at bringing the university’s work to the attention of UK politicians from all parties, the Civil Service, international Government representatives and members of the agri-food industry.
On the same day, our world-first Hands Free Hectare project completed its second harvest. This year the team had been aiming to improve the accuracy of their machinery to achieve better field coverage, and to run a rolling team with the combine and tractor for the first time. They achieved a respectable 6.5 tonne yield, which, considering the difficult year with which farming has had to contend, was a positive outcome.
To add to the celebrations on the harvest day, the team invited Caroline Dawson from Fodder in the Field to run a mini pizzeria at the side of the hectare. It saw the wheat harvested, milled and made into fresh dough for pizzas, prepared and cooked as the combine harvester continued to run in the background. What better way to demonstrate the field-to-fork food chain in operation!
To enhance agriculture in the future, especially in aspects of traceability, sustainability and precision, new and exciting future career paths will need to be filled. Agricultural Engineering Lecturer and HFHa Project Lead for the university, Kit Franklin says: “To ensure we continue to move towards precision farming, we need biologists to study the requirements of plants, chemists to develop fertilisers that can be applied in an adaptive manner, information scientists to interpret data from the field and engineers to develop smart machines that can apply field inputs with greater accuracy.”
And many future agronomists, farm managers, engineers and food technicians, among others, took a huge step towards their future careers with BTEC and A-level results being released last week.
It was a busy time across the university as staff confirmed student places for the new academic year. Those students will have considerable opportunities on the road ahead.
The next Harper Open Campus Day is September 18, so come along and find out where we could take you!
Adreen Hart-Rule, Harper Adams University
