Report from Catherine Lloyd College Director Of Studies

Report for the Shuttleworth College Association November 2022

We started the year well back in January with the students being able to participate in lambing, an activity they had missed during the pandemic. We had a good summer on the farm, and although the dry weather impacted some of the crop yields, harvest went well. We made silage, haylage, hay and straw from our fields and this, along with carryover from last year, will see us through the winter. The cattle are doing well, and in April we were able to hold an event with students from other colleges who came to participate in a number of activities during an enjoyable and informative day. We continue to use no fence cattle collars and through this extended the grazing season. Our cows also participated in some conservation grazing during the summer. Students have been involved in all of the autumn arable activities and are enjoying their time on the farm.

In the past year we have done a lot of maintenance work at the farm improving the buildings. We have also started to develop the walled garden, fitting out the poly tunnels and adding another greenhouse. Part time numbers are strong in horticulture with Royal Horticultural Society courses continuing to be popular. The zoological centre is now well established and the plants in the enclosures have matured, we can even grow our own bananas in the biome. The wide range of species is fantastic for the students to work with and there is a strong focus on conservation.