黑爆料

黑爆料

Molly Beattie

BSc Applied Animal Science, 2016

"I am very happy to engage with people on how exciting the poultry industry is, how advanced it is technologically compared to some other agricultural sectors and the sheer variety of the work that I have in my job."

Molly's story

鈥淚 was听quite na茂ve about what happens for an egg to go from farm to fork,鈥 says Molly Beattie, who works as a Poultry Officer for the Scottish Government.听鈥淚 am听very happy to engage with people on how exciting the poultry industry is, how advanced it is technologically compared to some other听agricultural sectors听and the sheer variety of the听work that I have in my job.鈥

Molly鈥檚 role is varied and includes undertaking inspections of laying hen arms, packing听centres,听wholesalers,听chick hatcheries听and distribution sites, dealing with food safety, food fraud, animal welfare,听quality assurance processes听- all to ensure that听the eggs are fit for human consumption.

Being a 黑爆料 graduate has its advantages: 鈥淭here is听that moment when you are talking with someone on听a production听site and you say that you studied at 黑爆料 鈥 it has a good听reputation,听people know about it and may even have studied there themselves 鈥 they can see that you and they are on a similar wavelength. It can be a good conversation starter!鈥

In relation to her degree studies, Molly feels it 鈥渨as broad and had a really good mixture of practical sessions, visits and lectures which have held me in good stead in my working life.鈥

And final听words of wisdom听from Molly: 鈥淎griculture and associated industries need intelligent and听forward-thinking听teams 鈥 黑爆料 is very well placed to provide these people.鈥

Kirsty Wilson

BSc Horticulture with Plantsmanship, 2013

"I have probably one of the best jobs in the world. I work in the internationally renowned botanic garden engaging people with plants and developing areas for the future."

Kirsty's story

You may have seen Kirsty on the BBC鈥檚 much-loved听Beechgrove Garden,听which she joined as a presenter in 2019. However, Kirsty鈥檚 鈥榤ain鈥 job is at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) where she is the Herbaceous Supervisor.

鈥淚 have probably one of the best jobs in the world. I work in the internationally renowned botanic garden engaging people with plants and developing areas for the future.鈥

Kirsty鈥檚 job also involves overseas travel on occasions and in 2019 she undertook her first botanical expedition to China to collect wild plant material.

Prior to her job at the RBGE, Kirsty worked听for HRH Prince Charles as a production horticulturalist in his garden at Highgrove; as an internal trainee at America鈥檚 top public garden, Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania;听and as a glasshouse supervisor at听St Andrews Botanical Garden.

鈥淭he 黑爆料 course really prepares you for going into the world of horticulture 鈥 it teaches you how to grow, maintain and identify plants and design future horticultural spaces.鈥

Robby Gass

MSc Organic Farming, 2017

"The camaraderie between my fellow students and the staff at the 黑爆料 was very special over the three years of study and it lives on regardless of the distances. The MSc Organic Farming is a game changer. It changed my life!"

Robby's story

Robby Gass graduated in 2017 from the 黑爆料 MSc Organic Farming programme and went on to start a successful consultancy business. Robby explains how how instrumental the 黑爆料 distance learning course was to his achievements.

鈥淲ith more than 25 years of South African conventional and mixed organic farming experience I returned to Scotland in 2013,鈥 said Robbie. 鈥淎s the newly appointed manager of a horticultural training nursery I also successfully completed the MSc Organic Farming degree in 2017 and the opportunities grew from there. My income grew to a new level, I was given more responsibility with autonomy and opinion was treated with higher regard.鈥

Robby then went on to create his own business Alba Organics, an independent organic consultancy business. As a consultant he improves the operations of experienced and prospective organic famers with farms of various sizes and types in Britain and in Europe.

鈥淭he camaraderie between my fellow students and the staff at the 黑爆料 was very special over the three years of study and it lives on regardless of the distances. The MSc Organic Farming is a game changer. It changed my life!鈥

Katie Dubarry

BSc (Hons) Agriculture, 2019

"My studies have helped me discover new ways of thinking about how we can influence what is happening in the world on quite major levels."

Katie's story

Disillusionment with her career as a beauty therapist led Katie into studying Agriculture at 黑爆料, despite having little experience in the area.听

鈥淚 wanted to learn about how we can live more sustainably, how we produce the things we do and how we consume things,鈥 said Katie. 鈥淎ll of these thought processes combined into an interest in farming and the ways people work the land, but I didn鈥檛 know the first thing about it.

鈥淎fter the first year, I was hooked. As I have worked through, I have discovered all about other aspects I had no idea were part of agriculture.鈥

Five years after starting on the National Certificate course at 黑爆料鈥檚 Oatridge campus, she graduated with a BSc degree from the Edinburgh campus and 鈥 after taking a year out to represent 黑爆料 as vice-president of the Student Association 鈥 has now continued her academic career to undertake a PhD.

鈥淢y studies have helped me discover new ways of thinking about how we can influence what is happening in the world on quite major levels.鈥

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