Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) is delighted to support AgriAware’s Farm Walk and Talk Series, an initiative that brings Agricultural Science to life for post primary students across Ireland.
The Farm Walk and Talk series gives students the chance to step out of the classroom and onto working farms where they can see modern agriculture in action and explore the many career opportunities available within the Agri sector.
Promoting Agricultural Science in our schools
At LOETB, we are committed to promoting Agricultural Science as a subject and highlighting the various education and career pathways it offers. This partnership with AgriAware builds on the success of our Intro to Ag programme for Transition Year students and the more recent appointment of an Ag. Science Coordinator to support 5th and 6th year students across the region.
Supporting initiatives like Farm Walk and Talk, encourages students to engage with the subject and consider further and higher education options in agriculture, food science, sustainability and other related fields.
Practical skills
These initiatives allow students to make a practical connection between classroom based learning and real-world farming. Teachers and students across Ireland visit various agricultural colleges and research centres, including the Irish Farmers Journal Tullamore demonstration farm.
These events give students real-life experiences on working farms. They also hear directly from agri-food industry professionals and leading academics in a practical environment.
From watching cows being milked and comparing different breeds of cattle, to examining soil profiles, observing lamb births and learning about farm safety, students experience the realities of the subjects that they are taught each day in the classroom.
Series launch in Tullamore
LOETB look forward to partnering on the series with Teagasc, the Irish Farmers Journal and the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science in 2026.
The launch of this year’s Farm Walk and Talk series took place at the Irish Farmers Journal’s Demonstration Farm in Tullamore, Co. Offaly which is also one of the venues for this year’s series. Students from LOETB’s Tullamore College, joined us on the day for the launch.
Speaking ahead of this year’s series was Agri Aware Chair Shay Galvin who said:
“It is with great pride to announce the return of our flagship secondary school event series Farm Walk & Talk. For 2026, we are thrilled to offer the series to Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science students, and Transition Year students and thanks to the LOETB the fee for students has been waivered. We look forward to welcoming students and teachers across all events and hope they take back valuable learnings to the classroom.”
Gráinne McGrath of LOETB said:
“As an ETB, we are delighted to be part of this initiative and believe it is absolutely crucial that education providers like LOETB engage with initiatives such as this. It plays a vital role in promoting the subject of agricultural science and highlighting the wide range of opportunities available within the sector. We hope it will encourage students to avail of both further and higher education pathways currently on offer.”
