Joint initiative sets the agenda for a sustainable farming future
Devon partners announce pioneering second agricultural campus
Two leading names in agricultural research and education have announced plans to establish a groundbreaking new education partnership in in the South West of England.
Bicton College, Devon’s only specialist land-based college, and visionary social enterprise and charity The Dartington Hall Trust are to join forces to establish a new campus on the Dartington Hall estate.
The proposed collaboration – Bicton College@Dartington – will deliver a wide range of courses for students from 14 upwards, from across the region at all educational levels including higher education. Courses will be offered in all aspects of agriculture, horticulture and countryside management, opening up a range of new opportunities for young people in west and south Devon.
The partnership will also aim to build upon The Dartington Hall Trust’s international reputation for learning and research in sustainability, horticulture and land use by working together to explore the concept of Fossil Fuel Free (F3) farming.
Both Bicton and Dartington have a strong track record in sustainable farming research, with Bicton boasting a state-of-the-art Environmental and Renewable Energies Hub (EaRTH) and Dartington’s Schumacher College recently launching a world-leading postgraduate pro-gramme in Sustainable Horticulture and Food Production, aimed at growing low input, diverse and resilient food systems.
By combining their expertise in sustainable development, Bicton College and Dartington plan to combine traditional agricultural education with research into a range of new, commercially viable sustainable farming systems.
Projects currently being considered include:
- Anaerobic digestion as an alternative source to non-organic fertiliser;
- Solar power generation;
- Biogas-powered farm machinery;
- Filtrated plant oil as an alternative vehicle fuel;
- Biomass boilers for heating.
The farming system will evaluate new and emerging techniques such as ‘once a day’ milking to reduce energy requirements and improve cow health, optimisation of genetic traits to increase the efficiency of animal production and new approaches to soil management.
Bicton College Principal and Chief Executive, David Henley, said: “We are delighted to be working with Dartington in this exciting partnership and believe that it has the potential to make a significant impact on how UK farming responds to the issues of climate change, and energy and food security.
“We were eager to partner with Dartington who, not only share our vision of the criticality of addressing these issues, but have common values and principles. We also believe that this partnership will enable us to support our land-based mission across Devon and beyond, providing opportunities for learners who previously may have struggled to access our courses on our main campus.”
Vaughan Lindsay, Chief Executive Officer for Dartington, said: “We wanted to identify new projects that really push the boundaries of what’s possible, and that match the original spirit of experimentation of our founders, the Elmhirsts.
“This innovative partnership with Bicton College is exactly the kind of project that we were looking for to accompany our other plans for agroforestry, community supported agriculture and biomass projects on the estate.”
Alex Stevens, Senior Food and Farming Adviser for the NFU in the South West, said: “The NFU has consistently argued that the challenge ahead is to produce more and impact less. This new partnership between Bicton College and The Dartington Hall Trust will explore best practice in sustainability and resource management in a real-life farmed environment.
“We wholeheartedly support this learning and research platform that will provide the farmers of today and tomorrow with information crucial to making agriculture more resilient to rising fossil fuel costs and limited availability in future. This is great news for the industry.”
Tim Jones, Chairman of Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I can confirm huge support and enthusiasm for this new partnership. The coming together of two such important institutions is a most significant event. The Dartington Hall Trust has been at the leading edge of research and creative thinking whilst retaining one of the peninsula’s most unique estates.
“Bicton College has made spectacular progress in the last few years in promoting themselves as a centre of excellence for the rural economy and able to lead agricultural community into a new renaissance for profitable farming. Their work in the alternative energy sector combines with the knowledge and creative skills within Dartington Hall. This collaboration will undoubtedly be the inception of one of the most important initiatives for many years: we wish it every success.”
Bicton College has begun recruitment for its first student intake in September 2013. It will be operating from the Old Parsonage Farm on the Dartington estate from October 2014. It is anticipated that a significant number of the students will be based in residence at the Dartington campus.
To find out more about Bicton College visit the Bicton College website