Farming and Rural Skills
Our farm education activity helps school pupils, school leavers and adult learners develop an understanding of food production systems and sustainable practices in farming.
About our programmes
Whether it’s workshops for school pupils, programmes for school leavers showing an interest in land-based jobs, adult learners looking for new careers, or farming and rural sector workers looking to upskill – we deliver a range of programmes in farming and rural skills.
From viewing an egg in development, to handling newborn chicks, to learning about the dairy industry, our farming education workshops give students hands-on learning and understanding of farming. We teach pupils about sustainability in farming practice, so they develop an understanding of the issues currently facing the planet in producing food for an expanding population.
Browse Farming and Rural Skills courses
About our centres
MacRobert Centre for Farming and Rural Skills
Our farming and rural skills programmes take place at The MacRobert Centre for Farming and Rural Skills on the Dumfries House estate, opened by His Majesty, then Prince of Wales, in 2022.
The centre, generously funded by The MacRobert Trust, is a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility that delivers events and workshops for thousands of people each year. The centre lies next to Home Farm, the working farm on the Dumfries House estate.
Valentin’s Education Farm
Valentin’s Education Farm, located next to our working farm on the Dumfries House estate, is designed to complement horticulture and food lessons already in place on the Estate.
The facility aims to give children a genuine farm-to-fork experience, while also focussing on native livestock conservation. We worked with The Rare Breeds Trust to introduce animals that would thrive on the estate, including Landrace pigs, Scots grey chickens and the Cröllwitzer turkey.