Welcome
Morning, and welcome to my first blog post!! Right…first things first, Mildred is a nickname!! Ben is what people normally call me (well the ones that like me!), Mildred stuck after I had a pet pig when I was young, called…Mildred!! Now, glad that’s out of the way!! I use Fwi and Fwispace a lot for work, so thought I’d try make a positive contribution via a blog (I’ll wait for the feedback before confirming the “positive” part!!)
(My friend Emily-Rose & myself at Suffolk YFC Ball 08)
Put simply, I’m a young chap who enjoys all things farm/countryside related. I grew up within a farming environment in Suffolk and this part of the country is still home. After finishing school in 99 I have gained farming experience all around the UK, working on farms in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk, as well as 2 seasons lambing in Wales and a few seasons silage making in North Yorkshire. Between all this I studied at Writtle for my degree in Agriculture. In my last job I was a trainee farm manager on a 1000ha unit on the Suffolk/Norfolk boarder. Now I am back at Writtle, this time in a teaching role!! A role I enjoy immensly, its very inspiring working with young lads/lasses who are very posistive about the their futures within agriculture. Outside of work I have many interests, Bury St Edmunds Young Farmers plays a big role a big in my social calender. I also ride Eastern Centre Enduro/Moto X events and play football for the village team. Shooting and working my springer are also interests of mine. That’s the introduction out of the way!!
On the work front, my students have all finished now for summer. After much chasing around for last minute finished assignments etc, the NC Ag and ND Ag 3rd yrs collected their course certificates last Friday in front of their friends and family. The majority of the students have worked hard for their qualifications and can now go out into the real world and gather the experience they need to persue a future with agriculture. The work load on the college estate has clamed down this week, although the barley may well be ready to harvest come end of the week. The farm staff and students have been busy making silage and haylage over the last few weeks, just 2 fields left now which may well be knocked down this morning. Where possible, the students do all the farm work whether that’s tractor driving on the arable side or livestock with the cows, sheep or pigs. This system works very well and gives the students a hands on practical experience of the threoy side of agriculture that they learn in the classroom.
Outside of work the last few weeks have been very busy, well what I can remember of it anyway!! A couple of weeks ago was the Suffolk YFC County Ball. What a fantastic evening, great food, great beer and a great time had by all (the pics are in the yfc gallery). This weekend I attended the beer festival in the village, all proceeds went to raise funds for the footy team. So I did my bit for the football team and attempted a pint of every ale on tap…I don’t remember much after midnight apart from being woken up by the dog licking my face at around 4.00am…I’d fallen alseep on the kitchen floor!!
That’s it for now, going to venture up the farm now and see how the mower is getting on. Far to nice day to be in the office any longer!