Studying smarter, farming better: a journey to success

When former teacher Rachel Yarrow started a dairy goat herd in 2016 with plans for artisan cheesemaking, she hit a wall any readers involved with goats will recognise: very little UK guidance, and almost none on pasture-based systems.

“I couldn’t find the practical, goat-specific knowledge I needed,” she says. “Even many vets have limited dairy-goat experience.”

Rachel Yarrow © Angus D. Birditt

Learning into practice

Her solution was to study online with IBERS Distance Learning (Aberystwyth University).

Starting with a single module in 2020, Rachel used the stackable pathway to build exactly the expertise her farm required – on her timeline, around work and family.

“I absolutely wouldn’t have applied if it wasn’t distance learning and stackable,” she notes. ‘I could start small, but I found I wanted to carry on because there was so much value in what I learnt’”

From there, each module translated into measurable change on the ground. The Livestock Production module opened a comparative view of France and Switzerland, where pasture-based goats are common.

“It was the turning point – proof it’s happening elsewhere.”

The Silage Science one underpinned a switch to conserved forages and better rationing, while an assignment on nematode control now informs day-to-day herd-health decisions.

The Grassland Systems module became a working blueprint for running a pasture-based dairy-goat system in Wales.

Together, these evidence-based decisions helped Rachel and her partner move to a 120-acre farm and align production with artisan brand promises – pasture, welfare, flavour and story.

Study didn’t just change the farm; it created momentum across the sector. Literature discovered through the course propelled Rachel into a Nuffield Scholarship to visit pasture-goat systems overseas.

She now sits on the Milking Goat Association board and the Specialist Cheesemakers Association committee – roles that value her research-led approach.

“The course gave me the confidence and the technical footing to share what works – and what doesn’t.”

© Angus D. Birditt

Not only for goats!

Agri-professionals choose IBERS Distance Learning because it is flexible and stackable, allowing you to start with one module and build to a qualification, if that’s what you decide to do.

It is relevant and applied, with assignments that double as farm plans, audits and decision tools you can use the next day. It is also firmly research-led, helping you access evidence and convert it into practical, profitable change.

“It’s out there. It’s happening. The course showed me pasture-based goat dairying is viable – and gave me the tools to make it work,” says Rachel.

The courses are not only about goats, but as Rachel found, you can fit the assignments you take to whatever system you are working in – from livestock to soil to horticulture, with a look at diversification options too (e.g. Food Innovation, Waste, Supply Systems, Greenhouse Gas Removal, Biorefining) as well as Business Management, and research methods for work-based research.

The same research-led, applied approach helps any enterprise turn evidence into profitable, resilient practice.

If you want to upskill on your schedule – IBERS Distance Learning helps you turn research into results.

Start with one module and see the impact on your farm. Rachel is now working towards a doctorate. How far will you go?

Find out more and sign up: search for “IBERS Distance Learning” and choose a start date that fits your season.