Our farm at Sonning recently threw open its five-bar gates to the public as part of the national Open Farm Sunday event. Anna Thompson from the Centre for Dairy Research talks us through some pictures from the day.
Agriculture
GIIDAE Alumni Lecture
The first GIIDAE Alumni Lecture, featuring guest speaker James Deane, Director of Policy and Research at BBC Media Action, will be held from 18:30 on Wednesday 30 May 2018 in the Agriculture Building, Whiteknights Campus.
This special event is designed to debate key issues of the 21st century. Hosted by Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Reading, James Deane will deliver an inspiring lecture entitled: ‘From HIV to Climate Adaptation’, outlining how social and behavioural change communication has evolved over more than three decades. He will highlight where they have succeeded and failed, and why the increasing complex and rapidly evolving field of communication, media and development holds great potential for the future.
The event is free to attend, however, we recommend booking early as places are limited.
Book your tickets here.
Internal event: Robotics and Agriculture seminar
Please note this event is for University of Reading students and staff only
Open Farm Sunday
The University of Reading will participate in the national Open Farm Sunday event for the first time this year. Join us at Sonning Farm to learn more about where your food comes from and how we help to look after the local environment.
Earthworms Count: How Healthy is Your Soil?
One of the earthworms found in a soil sample in Shropshire
By Jeremy Lelean, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading
Soil, from being an overlooked area of research, is now considered an area of vital interest in the solution to many of the global problems of we currently face. A key idea of how to manage our soil is the notion of soil health, which was referred to regularly in the newly published DEFRA Twenty-Five Year Environment Plan.
Measuring soil health, however, is a vexed question as there are a number of potential indicators that can be used. One of these is earthworm numbers, but numbers alone may not give a good picture of soil health overall. As part of the Soil Security Programme, fellow Dr Jackie Stroud has developed a method that is more indicative of soil health than simple earthworm numbers.
Bees, climate and food: the Reading research listed among world’s elite
Reading’s research on bees and pollinators is among the highest profile in the world – Picture (c) Dara Stanley
Ecology, climate and food science have helped to put the University of Reading in a group of the world’s elite research institutions in a new analysis of the most cited scientific papers.
The Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers table lists more than 3,300 most cited scientists in the world – those who have published a high number of papers ranking in the top 1% most-cited in their respective fields over the last 11 years.
The MERL Autumn Speaker Series – Mark Allery
Showing, Doing, Telling: Craft And Making
A Season Of Events Exploring Craft And Making At The MERL
Specialists in craft and the arts examine different ways of responding to rural life, exploring how best to nurture old skills, contemporary creative responses and traditional practice.
In this talk, woodsman, bodger and scythesman Mark Allery joins the MERL for a hands-on exploration of some of the scythes in the MERL collection and shares the story of his search for the earliest surviving scythes.
Admission is free, although booking is recommended.
The MERL Autumn Speaker Series – Jack Thacker
Showing, Doing, Telling: Craft And Making
A Season Of Events Exploring Craft And Making At The MERL
Specialists in craft and the arts examine different ways of responding to rural life, exploring how best to nurture old skills, contemporary creative responses and traditional practice.
This talk by Jack Thacker, the current poet-in-residence at the MERL, will explore the poetics of agriculture.
Admission is free, although booking is recommended.
News from Prosperity & Resilience: Peter Dorward
Peter Dorward
In May 2017 the Guyana government together with the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology facilitated a workshop one developing Participatory Integrated Climate Services of Agriculture (PICSA). The training enabled farmers to make informed decisions based on accurate, location specific, climate and weather information; locally relevant crop, livestock and livelihood options, and with the use of participatory tools, aid their decision making.
News from Prosperity and Resilience: Dr Eleanor Fisher
Dr Eleanor Fisher
Dr Eleanor Fisher (SAPD) published ‘The livelihood impacts of cash transfers in sub-Saharan Africa: beneficiary perspectives from six countries’ (2017) World Development 99, pp. 299-319 (with Attah, R., Barca, V., O’Brien, C., Brook, S., Holland, J., Kardan, A. and Pozarny, P.).