CLUBS & SOCIETIES: Food for thought

AGRICULTURAL enthusiasts from Ripon Grammar School enjoyed an open day on a farm where they learnt more about milk production.

It was especially fascinating for young farmer and chair of the RGS Agricultural Society, Lydia Fairburn, who has a part-time job milking cows and is planning to work tending calves in New Zealand during her gap year.

The 17-year-old, who hopes to take up a degree apprenticeship in land management and eventually work as a land agent or farm consultant, said: “It is good for people to know how and where their food comes from.”

The students visited Red House Farm in Ripon, a dairy farm which was showcasing its DeLaval 50-point E300 rotary milking parlour.

“I was intrigued to have a look round this new parlour. The team saves two-and-a-half hours every day, equating to 38 days a year,” said Lydia, who comes from a family of Dales farmers specialising in sheep, pigs and arable crops.

The school’s sixth form Agricultural Society has 12 members, a mix of farmers and non-farmers, all with an interest in the countryside and careers including veterinary surgery and land management.

“As well as watching Clarkson's Farm, we have watched films of caesarean sections on cows and lambings, had plenty of quizzes, and have had talks from agricultural universities about potential courses.”

Future sessions include a talk on the future of farming from a Newcastle University expert and trips to an abattoir, a farm machinery company and animal feed mill sites being planned

“Next term will be busy!” says Lydia. “I hope more students will join next term as it's such a good non-academic society to get involved in.”