Interstellar Farming

I’ve been looking forward to watching the current Christopher Nolan blockbuster film called Interstellar ever since a teaser trailer hit the internet last year.

The film project was clouded in secrecy but didn’t disappoint.

In some scenes I was literally gripping my cinema seat, so powerful was the combination of music and images that flowed towards me from the silver screen.

Without giving too much away, some of the plot promotes the importance of farming.

In a nutshell, time is running out on planet earth (in the film) because of an inability to grow food.

Therefore the only students that are sort after at University are those with farming ambitions.

Obviously, although an exaggerated form of where we are today, the idea of a growing population and a potential food shortage in the future is something that we need to confront.

One of the main characters has a mini catchphrase. He says, ‘we (humankind) will find a way – we always do.’

And I’m sure we will – yet the idea of just waiting and not acting is something that we are not prepared to do and that is why we have put so much energy into promoting our farming courses at the college in recent years.

We are making progress – talking with our interim principal (Christina) last week, we have over 100 full time farming students this year which is progress.

Yet it’s important that we don’t put all of our eggs in one basket – as there are many other industries that need our support to help recruit new generations into industries that are suffering skills shortfalls.

Like horticulture and construction for example.

At our Easton campus, we are in the throes of building a new £2m construction centre that is scheduled to open in September 2015 and last year we opened new horticultural facilities in Suffolk.

Amidst all of this, we need to ensure that we do our bit for the community that surrounds us.

Children in Need always sees the nation come together spectacularly for good reasons and we did our bit this year.

We also commemorated Armistice Day with a minutes silence at both campuses and had poppy boxes to help support the Royal British Legion.

Remembrance Sunday and the poppy appeal truly put’s our life as we live it today in a clear perspective and it’s essential everyone continues to support this amazing cause.

It never fails to bring a proud tear to my eye every year. We truly will never forget…….

www.eastonotley.ac.uk

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