369 hectares of prime farmland, fishing lake, landscaped gardens and mixed woodland are the on-site natural resources Riseholme College is fortunate enough to have at its disposal.

It’s a good job too, as this September, the college looks set to welcome record numbers of future farmers through its doors.

Boasting a wealth of educational assets, a diversity of habitats and a highly skilled team of land-based specialists, the college facilities are justifiably described as “An invaluable resource for teaching,” by Riseholme’s Bill Meredith.

The college specialises in agriculture, land-based engineering, horticulture, animal and equine
subjects. The range of courses include full-time, part-time and work-based options which have been developed to meet the demands of rapidly changing rural economies such as Lincolnshire’s.

“Government statistics demonstrate that the average age of Britain’s farmers is rapidly approaching 60 – a fact which highlights the need for a new generation of young farmers to
step forward.” Explains Bill.

“A recent skills assessment of the land-based industries suggests that 60,000 new entrants will be required over the next 10 years,” he added.

In order to develop the skills required by employers, the emphasis is on learning through practice with practical, hands-on instruction complementing lectures and the study of theory. Work experience is a key component of the college’s vocational courses and access to real
life working environments is essential.

Riseholme’s self-contained farm makes this possible and underpins the success of the college’s numerous land-based courses.

The combination of arable farm enterprises at Nettleham and grazing livestock enterprises at Riseholme Park means that the college is well equipped to educate the county’s future farmers for an industry which is becoming increasingly technological in order to maintain its competitiveness.

“The college is experiencing a significant increase in enrolments,” says Bill. “Recruitment to agriculture courses is particularly buoyant with numbers almost double for the forthcoming academic year.” he adds.

“There has been a welcome increase in interest in our courses from female students,” Bill says. “It’s really encouraging to see a positive gender shift – girls seem keener to become involved in agriculture, which is fantastic,” he adds.

“We’re extremely keen to promote the idea that you don’t have to be from a land-owning family to be successful in agriculture, too” he explains.

“Making students feel comfortable whatever their background and previous experience in agriculture is important – after all, they’re all here to learn.”

Whilst the Riseholme student base is largely drawn from the county, there is on site accommodation which can cater for 120 students, which is particularly useful for students venturing from further afield.

“There’s a real community feel,” says Bill. “Because it’s a relatively small campus and people have similar rural interests, the Riseholme collective feels more like an extended family than a body of students and lecturers!”

At the end of their programmes, students can expect to receive one of a number of nationally recognised qualifications ranging from Level 2 Diplomas to BSc Degrees, providing a solid basis for those wishing to pursue a career within one of the many land-based industries.

From its early origins (Riseholme Farm Institute was founded in 1949) the institution became the Lindsey College of Agriculture in 1966, before merging with De Montfort University in 1994 to become the Lincolnshire School of Agriculture. Another change in 2001 saw Riseholme become part of the University of Lincoln. Finally, in 2007, the Lincolnshire School of Agriculture was renamed Riseholme College.

The college farm and estate extend to over 1,000 acres including the arable land in the nearby village of Nettleham. Riseholme College has been described as one of the county’s hidden gems nestling as it does within the rolling wooded landscape on the northern approach to Lincoln. Few other student campuses can boast such a beautiful rural setting within short striking distance of a vibrant city centre, and judging by the recent strong recruitment, the secret may well be out!

Here, farming is predominantly dairy and grassland based, with the arable enterprises being grown on an additional 200 hectare estate Lodge Farm, where projects include growing winter wheat, winter barley, winter oil seed rape and sugar beet.

What’s more, students have one field put aside each year in order to grow their own crops — for which all planning, decision making, and fieldwork is carried out by the students themselves using university equipment.

Meanwhile, on the livestock front, the College’s own sheep flock consists of 256 females, and five rams.

Lambing, which takes place between mid February and March, is timed to coincide with academic requirements, and students are heavily involved in the process.

The College also boasts a pedigree herd of 30 Lincoln Red suckler cows.

Several hectares of the site are also dedicated to the Higher Level Stewardship scheme run by Natural England.

This encourages the replanting of trees and hedges, whilst also managing areas of grassland and establishing grass margins alongside watercourses. Riseholme’s students are active participants in this scheme, receiving an education in how to conserve and enhance the countryside’s natural habitats.

One of the newer additions to the College opened in 2002; Riseholme’s Equine Unit serves as an additional attraction for Lincolnshire’s equestrian enthusiasts and is one of the best training facilities in the UK.

Whilst Riseholme’s expertise lies in educating Lincolnshire’s future farmers, it also recently received another equestrian boost outside of the academic field; it has been designated as a 2012 Olympic training camp in the run up the Games next year.

The University of Lincoln’s Director of Sport, Robin Wright, says “There is no greater honour than to be associated with the 2012 games.”

“We are working hard with local sports clubs and schools, giving their young athletes the chance to become the elite sports people of the future,” he adds, and Riseholme is set to be as crucial to this as it will be to the future of farming itself.