Ag Science students get a taste of farm life at Kildalton Agricultural College in Kilkenny

ABOVE: Marcus O'Halloran Executive Director Agri Aware with Amber Laherty & Clara Whelan Foxe from Loreto Kilkenny with Tim Ashmore Principal Teagasc Kildalton at Agri Aware's Farm Walk and Talk in Kildalton

The stunning grounds of Teagasc Agricultural College in Kildalton, Co. Kilkenny, was the final port of call on the Agri Aware Farm Walk & Talk series.

Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science students from across Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford assembled for the latest in the Agri Aware series.

Farm Walk and Talk is a longstanding collaboration between Agri Aware, Teagasc, UCD, the Irish Farmers Journal, and I.A.S.T.A.

250 senior-cycle students made their way around the talks and exhibits that cover the new Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science cross-cutting themes. The talks were given by Teagasc lecturers and some local agribusinesses, including Dawn Meats.

In 2022, Farm Walk and Talk returned to in person events after the Covid-19 pandemic, with record numbers attending the events, students and teachers alike eager to engage with the subject in a hands-on manner. As a result, in 2023, Agri Aware has extended the series of events to meet the high demand! There are 13 Farm Walk and Talk events taking place in 10 locations across Ireland in 2023.

The Farm Walk and Talk series allows students to connect with the subject in a new way and keeps their passion for the subject alive amid concerns voiced by many in the Agriculture sector on the difficulty of the new Ag. Science curriculum, and the effect it is having on the uptake of the subject in schools.

In 2022, only 5.8% of students achieved a H1 grade, compared to the second highest at 7.2% for English, making Ag. Science the most difficult subject to achieve a top-grade in. The recent reform of the agricultural science curriculum, originally welcomed, has brought with it a concern for the sustainability of the subject and the agri-food sector as a whole. IASTA teachers have noticed the reduced subject uptake within schools, with the number of pupils sitting the leaving certificate exam dropping by 12% between 2021-2022. If this downward trend continues, this may impact the number of pupils applying for agricultural science higher education courses and those entering related careers.

Tim Ashmore, Principal of Kildalton Agricultural College was delighted to see the students return as they braved the rainy conditions.

“Kildalton College are delighted to host the Agri-Aware Farm Walk and Talk events for a second day this year. The college farm will be the backdrop for a series of ten stands incorporating key leaving certificate syllabus areas including, sustainability, soils, dairy, beef, sheep, tillage, machinery, horticulture and equine. Students will be encouraged to engage with staff members to maximise their learnings on the day.”

Marcus O’Halloran, Agri Aware Executive Director said: “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 Kildalton Agricultural College 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.”