On the 9^th and 10^th of January 2024 two beautiful Jersey cows were born at Tyers Hall Farm - part of Longley Farm. Rather than staying at Tyers Hall to join the rest of the herd, these two calves have a new job and a new home, thanks to the collaboration and creative thinking of Paul Robson, Manager of Tyers Hall Farm, and the team at Wigfield Farm.

The original idea was to lend the calves to Wigfield Farm for educational purposes and for the public to come visit them. Talks progressed into Wigfield Farm keeping the calves, so students and visitors to the farm could watch them grow up. Talks turned into action and later in the month the two calves arrived at their new home Wigfield Farm - part of Barnsley College.

After a successful settling-in period, the calves were introduced to agriculture students at Wigfield Farm who were keen to learn more about working with dairy cows. Our cows have been a great success so far, capturing the hearts of visitors and students at Wigfield Farm.

The calves have also received a warm welcome online. Wigfield’s Farm’s first post about the pair on the 1^st of February 2024 received over 190 likes and 40 comments with one person commenting “absolutely adorable, the pair of them” and another commenting “aww 2 more gorgeous reasons to visit.”

Another photo was shared on the 5^th of February 2024 by the college of one of the calves showing their teeth, quoting “these little teefs should cheer up your Monday morning.” This post received over 90 likes with one follower commenting “utterly adorable, and those teefs are everything” and another “they have such a personality”.  

Tyers Hall Farm was taken on by Longley Farm’s founders Joseph and Edgar Dickinson in 1973, as the dairy business grew and expanded. Now celebrating its 50^th year, Tyers Hall Farm is a successful dairy, beef and arable farm with a pedigree Jersey herd of around 300, of which 150 are cows in milk.

Owner of Longley Farm, Jimmy Dickinson, and Paul Robson, Manager of Tyers Hall, recently visited Wigfield Farm to check on the progress of the calves and to talk to the students.

Liz Squires, Programme Manager at Wigfield Farm, added: “It was great to welcome Jimmy and Paul from Longley Farm to see how well the calves have settled into their new home.”

Paul has a lot of knowledge and experience in working on a dairy farm, having worked at Tyers Hall since 1989. Students were provided with a clear picture of what it is like working in the farming industry. Barnsley College stated in their article that Paul’s teaching “was a great insight into the farming industry” and that “the students were really engaged.” 

We believe in the importance of education, especially when it comes to understanding agriculture and where food comes from. “We want to encourage people to come into farming – which is a good industry, if you’re the right sort of person” explained Paul. “There’s a real gap between education and the reality of working on a farm. By doing this, we’re hoping to bridge the gap in a way. It’s good to talk to young people who are interested and come forward and say to us, ‘I want to be a farmer’.”

Donating these calves, will provide students with hands on learning experiences that will help them appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes into farming, and is the first step in a closer relationship between the Barnsely College and Tyers Hall Liz Squires explained, “We’re hoping to work closely with Tyers Hall Farm to develop that link further, to show our students a clear pathway into what the farming industry is really like.”

Jimmy Dickinson, whose father and uncle co-founded Longley Farm, added: “The courses on offer at Wigfield Farm are filling a gap. There are fewer and fewer people being born onto farms and as a result, fewer young people know anything about farming. So it’s a question of bringing new people into it and introducing them into the industry.”

“Education and local industries, such as farming, pulling together has a huge part to play in building the country back up to where it needs to be. These two calves are a good step for us to engage with the local community and the College - something we enjoy doing.”

We are grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community in this way and we look forward to seeing the positive impact these calves will have on the students at Barnsley College. Wigfield Farm ran naming competition during February half term for the two calves. The chosen names are Ginger and Biscuit.

If you’re interested in Animal Care and Agriculture courses, visit Barnsley college website. Alternatively, you can call the Info Unit on 01226 216 123 or email info@barnsley.ac.uk for further details.

Read more in the Yorkshire Post, The Farmers Guardian and in the Farmers Mart (on page 54).