How time flies, it is almost a year since I last blogged. We have had a very busy winter training, despite the current economic gloom, and the farm is looking relatively well following a very difficult Autumn. Lambing was fairly easy and successful, so all is well in the world.
We finally began delivering training under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) in October 2008, after over a years waiting for the details to be sorted out. The training project we are delivering is in partnership with Lantra, the sector skills council for landbased industries, and is called Landskills South East. Similar projects are now being delivered throughout England. The projects, although slow to get off the ground, are now operating successfully despite a few back room issues. The project will run untill June 2011, with funding ranging from 40-70% of course cost. To be eligible you must spend 50% of your time working in agriculture, forestry or production horticulture
Our Fresh Start academy continues to meet. This winter they have covered employment law , legal issues and heath and safety. They are currently planning a farm walk for June, so if you are interest in coming a long just give me a call. Two of our founder members took their first Farm last Autumn, and we have just heard it is going very well for them. Congratulations to Peter and Katie Gregory and we all wish you well. We will also pilot an Open College Network qualification for those wishing to take the academy a step further.
The Arable Group also continues to flourish under the leadership of Ian Waller, who won the Farmers weekly environmental farm of the year in 2008-9. We have been nominated for the 2009-10 farm diversification award and are currently waiting to hear if we have got to the final. There arable group has this year taken the bull by the horns and six of its members are undertaking a benchmarking project. This is enabling the group to look at their business more fully, and it has already opened up some interesting issues. More on this later in the year.
Vale Training has also taken the bull by the horns and taken advantage of cheaper advertising. I have decided we should have an add on the local radio, which you can listen to by clicking on the link on our home page. It has received a good response and hopefully will encourage new customers. We will also be publishing our annual training programme in time for the Bucks Show, at the end of August. In the mean time we will have a stand at the Bucks Young Farmers Show at Milton Keynes on 30th May and at the Kimblewick Country fair on 1st August.
Enough for now, so hope to see you at one of the events we are attending or on a training course. Best Wishes. Kate Mason
