Henson presents guest lecture at Duchy College

Duchy College welcomed TV presenter, Adam Henson as their guest speaker for the fifth Bishop Bill Lecture on Thursday 29th March.

Adam enthralled a packed lecture theatre with guests from all across the region who listened to his entertaining talk covering his family history and the setting up of the farm park, through to present day farming in the Cotswolds and filming for BBC Countryfile.

Adam who is often referred to as the country’s best known farmer, farms 1000 acres in Gloucestershire and runs the Cotswold Farm Park with 30 different Rare Breed species.

The farm and these rare breeds are the subject of ’Adam’s Farm’ on Countryfile, which he has been working on since 2001. Adam is a great ambassador for farming and finds honest and transparent reporting is paramount.

He went on to talk about the future of agriculture and the responsibility that farmers have to work sustainably in regards to conservation and their business practices. He very much sees the future for graduates from Duchy College as being positive with a varied and wide range of jobs within food production.

Before the lecture Adam met with some current students for an informal question and answer session. The students from Duchy College’s agriculture, food, equine and countryside courses used the opportunity to discuss future issues within the industry and the directions they need to pursue.

There is a need for multi skilled agricultural students to drive the industry forward and ensure food security for all. Adam was impressed by the facilities at Duchy College and was interested to learn about the Rural Business School’s work in providing training and disease management to farmers.

Meeting up with some friends from his own college days who currently work at Duchy College brought good humour to an already enjoyable evening.

Richard Soffe, Director of the Rural Business School, said: "Adam encourages a positive attitude to all aspects of farming; he answered an incredible wide range of questions easily and proficiently."

Andrew Counsell, Head of Duchy College, said: "Adam is an inspiration to us all, from meeting him the students can see that a farmer and businessman can develop a widely diverse and successful enterprise which still keeps conservation as a priority. They can now see the range of skills they need to develop further themselves into the future of British food production."