Eighteen agricultural professionals from across the UK and two NSC staff members have visited farming and food production facilities in Sweden for two weeks recently. The visit was arranged by the Enterprise and Development Department of North Shropshire College (NSC) and funded by the Life Long Learning Project, Leonardo and hosted by the Swedish Federation of Farmers. The visit allowed farmers and smallholders from the UK to see different methods of food production, and come away with ideas to improve their own businesses and how to add value to their base product.
During their stay, the group visited Europe’s largest most efficient sugar plant in Örtofta, Sweden, an arable flax farm, organic egg producers and a potato farm which produces and sells 550 varieties from their shop. As well as agricultural producers, the group also visited the Absolut Company in Ahus famous for Absolut Vodka. Gill Coleman, an Agricultural Assessor from NSC who accompanied the visit commented ‘We have been extremely humbled by the generosity and the hospitality of those that have taken the time to explain their businesses. The enthusiasm of those we have met has been inspiring and we would hope that some of them will encourage future business development in the UK.’
Liz Wilcox from NSC’s Enterprise and Development Department commented on the visit, saying ‘the visit was a great success and we currently have a group of farmers and smallholders visiting Italy under the same project - Premium Produce. Not only do participants on the visits get to see different working methods and techniques but they can learn from new ideas from a European perspective also.’
