Farms that we learn from

Benefit from practical learning space right on your doorstep.

There are a number of farms located near the campus which provide our students with an ideal field laboratory.

More than 100 agricultural businesses generously allow us and our students to learn from their activities and experiences.

We continue to develop strategic partnerships with local and regional farming enterprises, providing our students with an enhanced range of up-to-date best practice farming operations off-site.

All the farms are run on a commercial basis and our students benefit through access to their physical and financial data, which enables them to understand all aspects of farm management.

Coates Manor Farm

Coates Manor Farm is a regenerative farming business within walking distance of the campus and is a vital part of our students' learning about agriculture and related disciplines. 

The 457-acre arable farm is now being farmed in an exciting new collaboration between the University and local farmer SS Horton and Sons, run by RAU alumnus Ed Horton.

This change in farming system - which includes a more diverse crop rotation, a range of cover crops, grazing cover crops with livestock, and direct drilling - enables students to gain experience in a wider range of farm management techniques including growing peas, beans, and spelt wheat, as well the management of over winter cover crops.

Regenerative farming focuses on enhancing soil health. A combination of practices - including maintaining soil cover, integrating crop and livestock enterprises, maintaining living roots in the soil, practicing diverse crop rotations, and minimal soil disturbance - helps to build organic matter which, in turn, stabilises the soil and helps to reduce erosion as well as creating diverse soil microbiomes and decreasing the risk of environmental stress. Regenerative farming is a key step towards developing resilient farming systems which can cope with extreme weather conditions and a changing climate.

In addition to using the farm as a base for practical field classes, real-life scenarios, case study based learning, and environmental planning, it also allows us to teach students the more traditional agricultural skills, such as crop and livestock monitoring and evaluation, understanding a range of husbandry practices, and weed, pest, and disease identification.

Zerodig

Zerodig is a social enterprise which established a seven-acre site on land adjoining the our Cirencester campus in 2023. Students are actively involved in all aspects of Zerodig and the planting schedules are designed to match the University’s catering requirements for the following year. A wide range of crops are grown using a low soil disturbance system to try and improve soil health. Students gain experience of working directly with the University’s kitchens, to provide produce for hospitality and retail markets.

Fossehill Farm

Fossehill Farm is adjacent to Coates and provides livery stabling for students and associated exercise facilities. The stabling is set out over eight barns and features a 1,000m all-weather exercise track and an outdoor arena.

Leaze Farm

To provide a contrast, students have access to this 300-cow autumn block calving herd utilising a grass-based system.

Additionally, the University uses numerous farms, estates and businesses, both locally and further afield, for visits and practical exercises such as  Miserden Estate and Guiting Power Estate.