Plumpton College Open Day

Towards the end of May the local agricultural college held a public open day. It was a day full of demonstration's, activities, crafts and competitions. It was well attended, I do not know the numbers but I would guess in the thousands. A lesson for us at Fanshawe.





They have a very intense arboriculture program, and the image above shows students in a competition climbing. What was also worthy of note was that part of their course taught the use of a portable sawmill to use the trees that were cut down, much more sustainable than what we do.

Not so sustainable was their annual production techniques, plants grown in foam packs. I was assured that this method of production was on the way out and that they were moving towards plastic. Their annual quality was poor as was their greenhouse hygiene. In fact the facility and organization and quality did not impress me: I expected much better.

Their greenhouses were older and made of several rooms, individually climate controlled which we lack at Fanshawe but I hope with the Ivey donation we will be able to do when we start the new building.

A new building that I did like was the construction shop and classroom, this was attached to the main greenhouse complex but was I thought, a little small.

What I did like was the gardens constructed by the students, there is much more detail and imagination used here than in Canada.