Georgina Wallis is busy. Not only has she just managed to complete her Foundation Degree in Agriculture with great aplomb, but she has accomplished this feat whilst working as the Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer for the River Nene Regional Park (RNRP). Her role is key in supporting local farmers to balance sustainable intensification of their farms with wider environmental considerations such as managing water pollution, protecting biodiversity and even combating climate change.
Georgina explains….. ‘In my role at the RNRP, I have enjoyed helping farmers in implementing new countryside stewardship schemes on their land so they can seek to balance production with caring for the environment’. She adds ‘This year I was able to carry out an industry project alongside my course where I interviewed a wide cross section of farmers. Thankfully there was a strong agreement across all farm types and sizes that agri-environmental schemes should be part of an integrated farm approach, justifying my professional role’.
The integration of environmental friendly farming practices is not new, but with recent changes to the Common Agricultural Policy persuading land owners to take on the new schemes is an ongoing battle. The value of infield options including pollen and nectar mixes is much publicised; indeed turning just a small amount of commercial farmland into habitat for pollinators actually increases some yields, despite the loss of land in production (Nowakowski & Pywell, 2016).
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| Georgina (left) on a farm visit |
With an additional challenge of representing the England women’s ‘tug-o’-war’ team, it seems Georgina will continue to be in demand!
Her story is similar to many of our other Graduates, who benefit from the close links we have with industry throughout our courses. For more information on our agriculture and countryside management courses, why not get in touch today?
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