Shropshire tour for international students

Posted 17 April 2015

Students from around the world learnt about regional food and land management during a tour of Shropshire as part of a collaborative programme with Harper Adams University.

The 25 students are enrolled on the EU Masters in Food Identity course and are in the process of completing the equivalent of a semester at Harper Adams.

Harper Adams is the UK representative in a consortium of educational institutions that delivers the course, with students travelling to a number of different countries to experience food production and marketing methods.

As part of their time at Harper Adams, a field trip was organised to visit local places of interest – Apley Farm Shop, Granville Country Park and Battlefield1403.

Senior Lecturer, Dr Richard Byrne, organised the trip. He said: “Visiting quality farm diversifications like Apley Estate and Battlefield1403 gives the students a real insight into rural business and the importance of local produce and product traceability.”

27-year-old Greta Spinsanti is from Italy. Speaking about the visit to Apley Farm Shop, she said: “I have really enjoyed visiting a local business that strives to sell high quality, locally sourced produce. This approach is similar to that of Italy so I really like it.

“Being at Harper Adams has been a really good experience and the course has enabled us all to gain a new perspective on food production from the different countries that we have visited.

“I have found it very interesting and the lecturers are very knowledgeable.”

Joining the Masters in Food Identity students was a number of UK postgraduate students enrolled on the MSc Rural Estate and Land Management course.

The Masters in Food Identity course is supported by the European Union’s Eramus Mundus programme which encourages international student and staff mobility and collaboration between universities across Europe.