College Calendar: Michael Neaverson goes to JCB World
I walked into the kitchen the other morning to find ‘WARNING’ daubed all over the kettle.
I’m not sure if it’s a reflection on my cooking skills that, bar the oven, my flatmates and I have inadvertently managed to break every single kitchen appliance in only 10 weeks. It’s a good job we’re still living in a commercially-managed property and don’t have to pay for them.
My cooking might not have been the highlight of the past month, but a tour around the JCB World Headquarters near Uttoxeter is a strong contender.
Seeing as it is only 30 minutes away from our campus, the Agricultural Society had a brief foray into the world of telehandlers and diggers with a guided tour around the extensive manufacturing, administrative and testing facility.
It was fascinating to see how the types of machines that many of us spend our working lives driving were manufactured, and I was impressed with the speed and efficiency with which each machine was put together.
If you have never been before, you will be absolutely staggered by the size of the factory – it is only just possible to see one end of the main construction building and offices from the other.
This month also saw the introduction of the Nottingham Crop Challenge. Those who wish to take part are given a plot of winter wheat and it is left to us to decide what inputs we wish to use. The winner is not the person with the best yield, having marketed the resultant grain at a time of our choosing; it is whoever has the best margin that will take the prize. With future grain prices as they are now, it seems sensible to lock into a price now for the summer, but only time will tell.
With lectures nearly over for the semester, thoughts inevitably turn to revision. Exams start as soon as we get back in January, though before that I have two pieces of coursework due in.
The first is an experimental write-up about factors affecting growth of crop plants. The second is a research paper critique concerning the feasibility of genetically engineering potato plants to produce spider silk – a useful substance significantly stronger than steel. The principles are now proven, though might not yet be commercially viable, even if it was possible from a legal point of view.
From one controversial topic to another: the sorry story of the UK’s bovine TB problem and the proposed badger cull. The Agricultural and Veterinary societies here at SB recently hosted a very well-attended interactive discussion on the matter, and there were some high-profile speakers in attendance.
Meurig Raymond (deputy president of the NFU), Carl Padgett (president-elect of the British Veterinary Association and a member of DEFRA’s TB eradication group) and David Bowles (director of communication at the RSPCA), all put their points across well, as did Pauline Kidner, from Secret World Wildlife Rescue, and Lewis Thomas, from the Vet Association for Wildlife Management.
To be perfectly honest, I had expected the RSPCA and Badger Trust to be vehemently opposed to a badger cull of any sort. In fact, they agreed that should irrefutable evidence come to light in support of a cull, it would be irresponsible not to act. Unlike the NFU and BVA however, they do not regard the present studies as sufficient and this is where the disagreement lies.
Coming from an entirely arable background, I can hardly imagine the heartbreak and suffering that TB can cause. Whatever it may be, it is imperative to find a real and workable solution.
From the serious to the ridiculous, and I feel the need to clarify something for anyone who may have seen me over the past month. I have not been growing a moustache out of my own free will. No, the feeble caterpillar that has been sprouting from my top lip is actually the result of ‘Movember’. The idea is to not shave the upper lip over the course of November to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer charities, and I can only offer my sincerest apologies to anyone that I or the rest of the rugby team may have scared or offended over this period.
• You can find out what Michael has been up to by following the College Calendar blog at www.fwi.co.uk/college-calendar
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