Agri Aware’s Farm Walk & Talk events welcomed over 4,100 secondary school agriculture science students over a span of three weeks, making the 2025 series the largest year yet.
The Farm Walk & Talk series included 15 events across 11 venues this year and was a remarkable success, showcasing the strong collaboration between Agri Aware, Teagasc, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and the Irish Farmers Journal.
The events took place at an array of locations across the country, including Teagasc Agricultural Colleges and Research Centres. In addition, students had the unique opportunity to visit a variety of other venues, including the Irish Farmers Journal’s Tullamore Farm, UCD Lyons Farm, and a commercial dairy farm in Donegal, generously hosted by Jack Porter and family.
Throughout the events, students received expert talks, covering a wide range of topics within the agriculture science curriculum, including beef, dairy, sheep production, soil health, farm safety, and modern milking facilities. The sessions were further enhanced by hands-on opportunities ranging from lambing demonstrations to milking cows.
The educational talks were delivered by a range of experts, including Teagasc staff and patrons of Agri Aware, including ABP, Aurivo, Dawn Meats, Dairygold, Dairymaster, Grassland Agro, the Irish Farmers Journal, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, the National Dairy Council and Certified Irish Angus as well as Agri Aware Education Officers.
Speaking after the conclusion of the Farm Walk & Talk series for 2025, Agri Aware Executive Director Marcus O’Halloran said “this series has grown significantly, and we were thrilled that we welcomed a record number of students this year. We could not carry out events like this without the support of our series partners, who opened their exceptional facilities to provide students with the invaluable opportunity to visit working farms and hear from industry experts about key topics in agricultural science.”
“We are immensely grateful to the sponsors of Farm Walk & Talk, Teagasc, the Irish Farmers Journal, and UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science – as well as to all of the Teagasc Colleges, Tullamore Farm, UCD Lyons, and the Porter family in Donegal for graciously opening their farms to students once again. We look forward to bringing students back next year once again.”
