‘Farm to Fork’ is the title for this term’s topic in P1-4, and what better way to learn than meeting some local farmers and finding out more about what they do.
We were lucky to have a nice sunny afternoon to welcome our visitors to Kirkcolm, and by kind permission of Jack Milroy, were able to use a field next to the school.
First up was Grant Hurcomb, aka The Sheep Shearing Expert! We got to watch him shear some sheep, discussed why he does this and then we got feel the wool and find out ways it is used. Grant was ably assisted by Jack who was able to give us an idea of the value of the wool. Turns out, not a lot!
Next was the turn of Stuart McCrindle and his sheepdog Zak. This winning partnership were last year’s Scottish Champions so we knew we had the best team to demonstate a sheepdog working with some sheep. Zak was a true professional and guided the sheep around the field with ease. Some of us even got the chance to give Zak some commands too. Stuart had also brought along the newest member of his team, an 8 week old collie pup. The children all got the chance to name the puppy, and the winning name chosen at the end of the day was ‘Jem’. The perfect choice!
The children then had the chance to meet local contractors Angus Brown and Steven Adams. Despite their busy schedule and the dry weather, they took time out from silage making to visit us with a chopper, tractor, mower and a rowing up machine. It was a chance to see these machines up close, find out what they do and have a seat inside…and toot the horn! Being a contractor also means you have to be a mechanic and engineer, fixing problems as you go. It’s a tough job!
We also had a local sheep farmer there, Ian McKnight, who talked us through rearing and caring for animals. We learned about the farming calendar, saw some tools and medicines he uses and got to see different feeds for the animals. He also had the quad bike he uses on the farm too with him.
Finally, we had our very own Alexander Clark (budding auctioneer) on hand to finish proceedings with an auction. He stood in at the last minute after a cancellation and he did an awesome job. We got to see him in action with groups competing to buy some calves and win an extra 5 minutes of breaktime!
What a lovely way to spend a sunny Friday afternoon. A big thank you to all of our visitors who have perhaps inspired a few young people towards a career in agriculture!
