![]() Also, under the rural development theme, Fergal Bradley presented his fi ndings on mental health and wellbeing of young farmers in the North West and the important role that Macra na Feirme and Teagasc play in reducing rural isolation and helping young farmers to cope with stress. Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) in the UK with Hugh Larkin presenting his fi ndings on why UK livestock farmers are reluctant to soil test; Seadhna Crowley on the uptake of herd genetic reports by UK dairy farmers; and Danny Fanning on how to improve the knowledge exchange process for farmers who adopt multi- species grasslands. Four senior sta from AHDB attended the conference strengthening linkages between AHDB, UCD and Teagasc. agricultural advisors dates back to the late 1960s when Kellog Foundation funding and links to the Land Grant Colleges in the USA helped develop initial programmes on communication and extension methodology. Over the past decade there has been a resurgence in interest in agricultural knowledge and innovation systems as we grapple with challenges of farm incomes, climate change and sustainable development and a lot of this interest is directed to the skills and competencies required by agricultural advisors so that they are able to facilitate and support farmer learning and innovation. With more emphasis on participatory methods of knowledge exchange, the farm advisor has to be able to support peer to peer learning among farmers as well as take on the role of knowledge broker. UCD and Teagasc started the Masters in Agricultural Innovation Support in 2010 as a research masters with interest and ambition to work in advisory and education roles. The students complete a placement within an advisory o ce or agricultural college while researching issues that have been identifi ed by advisory and education sta ranging from the e ectiveness of di erent advisory or education approaches to the barriers and constraints facing adoption of di erent innovations. A two-year taught Masters programme was added in 2015 whereby students would also gain fi rst hand exposure and experience of advisory and educational services within a mentored environment. The curriculum is based on a model of refl ective practice where student assignments are based on real life experiences relating to the professional environment. They learn quickly how complex and unpredictable the professional work environment can be and the importance of developing their competence to build relationships of trust with clients as well as having the technical expertise. Through the Walsh Fellowship programme, up to 20 students are sponsored on these programmes each year. Programme Coordinator, Dr Monica Gorman, explains that many graduates have successfully gone onto careers in Teagasc with others working in agri-business, agricultural media and related areas. Each year an increasing number of graduates are applying for the di erent options within the UCD Masters in Agricultural Extension and Innovation. Self-funded students can take the programme as a full- time one-year programme while a part-time distance option is also available to graduates who are working directly with farmers in related areas such as agricultural consulting, technical sales or rural development. Since 2018, Macra Agricultural Skillnet have provided fi nancial support for this programme to graduates in the sector who want to upskill. With an attendance of over 190, the annual KT Conference has become an established date in the diary for anyone interested in agricultural advisory and education. |