Student Reminiscences

1.ROSEMARY SMITH (1975-76)

On a recent return visit to Broomfield Agricultural College with my husband, I met several of my old lecturers. One of them kindly asked if I would like to say what I have been doing with myself during the past nineteen years since I left Broomfield after attending the Junior course back in 1975.

On leaving college with my college certificate in Agriculture plus City & Guilds Stage I in Farm Husbandry, Crop Management and Farm Machinery, also two Proficiencies in Milk Production and Poultry Plucking and Trussing, I got a job on a contract calf-rearing unit in Newark.

All the calves were brought in at one-two weeks old, weighed in on arrival into the unit, in batches of approximately 100 calves, put into individual pens and allowed to rest. They were weaned at six weeks and put into small groups, also they were weighed every two weeks up to the age of three months, at this stage they were moved on to a fattening unit not too far away.

It was very intensive and interesting work as the calves were pushed to increase their weight gain but done with great care. The woman I worked for knew a great deal about calves and she taught me so much but she was a hard woman to work for and was very demanding. I had to wash all the calves buckets three times each, first soaked in cold water, then as hot as possible, then rinsed, again in cold. There could be as many as 200 buckets at any one time which was equal to 600 buckets, which were washed after each batch of calves.

Due to ill-health and a very low market price for calves she decided to retire so I was made redundant. I returned to my parent's farm. After a short period of time I applied for a job working on a 1,000-acre Dairy/Arable farm as a calf-rearer to a 250 Friesian herd. After I was offered the job I learnt that there had been a large number of applicants for the job. I went on to be responsible for all the stock up to In-Calf heifers and all the bull beef up to killing weight as well as 299 mule ewes.

It was a wonderful job, the farmer was a pleasure to work for. The days were long but there were no two days the same and I was given a free hand in rearing the calves, something I was not allowed to do in Newark. One year I reared a total of 242 calves without losing one through ill-health, only to natural causes due to calving. I was made up to Grade II stockman for that.

The first six months I was there we were placed eighth out of 11 in the local N.F.U. annual dairy replacements (100 cows and over) competition. The next year we were fourth. After that we were not out of the top three for five years. Having placements of one third, two seconds and two firsts.

I left after seven years with regret but I was ready to start my family with my husband who I met whilst we were at college. I have two young boys, both at school so I work at a local playgroup as a supervisor but keep my hand in as much as possible, working on my brother's farm on weekends and holidays.

(Editor: This article first appeared in the 1995 BOSA  magazine)