INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO WINE-MAKING AND FRUIT-GROWING EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE EU

Summary:

The report gathers and investigates innovative wine-making and horticulture-fruit-growing & processing educational modules from 6 AGRI EDU institutions from Slovakia (Modra, the project partner), France, the United Kingdom and Italy. The disused cases combine the full production cycle learning, with pro-active micro agri-business education, under school shops, which function closely to realities of profit making enterprises. The

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genuine innovation lays in holistic, ownership based, full production and sales cycle practical approach: the students teams are immersed in growing and production cycle, encouraged to take independent decisions e.g. on exact harvesting time, ageing or blending of wine, along the associated risks. Next they manage its sales and marketing e.g. deciding on its packing and design, getting an exact idea of production costs, as well as tastes of customers and the retained profit, getting familiar with challenges of food sector in today’s competitive world.

Agricultural high school in Montreuil-Bellay,

Location: Route de Méron, 49260 Montreuil-Bellay, Loire Valley, France

Google Maps: bit.ly/2fWd1Ni

Agricultural high school farm, vineyard, winery and wine cellar www.facebook.com/domaineduhautbellay/photos/a.885330571604238.1073741828.885304341606861/927821610688467/?type=3&theater

The school owns its own vineyard (14 ha), winery and the school wine (more than 830 hl per year) is sold at school wine cellar. There are 3 full-time employees that take care of the whole business and the representatives of the school winery participate in regional and local wine fairs. The winery sells wine to the local inhabitants on-the-spot, as well as to other customers at the local and regional wine fairs and it attempts to export wine to some European countries. The new labels and the marketing strategy in French and English was prepared by a contractor marketing agency and a wine sales and marketing specialist was employed at the winery.

Each student needs to undergo 22 weeks of professional training in agriculture within 3 years. The programs to be studied: Landscape planning, Rural services and viticulture. Many classes are conducted in the vineyard and at the winery.

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Secondary School in Bloxham

Location: Bloxham Grove Rd, Bloxham OX15 4LJ, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Google Maps: bit.ly/2fP0JlS

Warriner School farm sells organic vegetable boxes and seasonal foods, as well as organizes events and courses for children, in the UK www.facebook.com/Warriner-School-Farm-814411438631652/

The Warriner School Farm is a 48 hectare organic mixed farm which provides practical, relevant and realistic experience of farming and the countryside. The Warriner Farm is also useful to student education, as Rural Studies lessons can be held out on the farm, giving the teachers the ability to demonstrate with live animals.

The farm offers an opportunity to buy a box of organic vegetables and other seasonal foods at low prices. The orders are to be made on-line and the pick-up is possible at the school farm or at the stall outside a museum in

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the town center one afternoon per week. The pumpkin pick-up day close the Halloween and BBQ days in the summertime are organized at the farm. The bird watchers courses for children and farm open days to present its animals are in offer. The entrance to the events and courses cost up to 10 pounds per person. The school has its canteen and a catering service that can be used by the local inhabitants.

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Secondary Viniculture and Fruit Growing School in Modra, Slovakia

Location: Kostolná 162/3, 900 01 Modra, Bratislava Region, Slovakia

Google Maps: bit.ly/2fQnbLn

Internships at the wineries and wine making and fruit-growing at school - svosmo.edupage.org/about/?text=text%2Fabout&lang=en

The school in Mokra possess its own a 0,30 ha-vineyard and a 1 ha-fruit-tree orchard. It’s the only secondary school specialized in the viniculture and wine making in Slovakia. There are two specializations: one in business administration and one in agritourism. Apart from that, the school in also specialized in the fruit growing. The school wine-cellar has the capacity of 35 000 l. The students are directed to the internships at the family companies with the capacity of vineyards 20 – 50 ha and the with the minimum production capacity of 10 000 l.

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Agricultural Institute in Firenze

Location: Via delle Cascine, 11, 50144 Firenze, Italy

Google Maps: bit.ly/2kqMHvX

3 chemical labs, 16 ha experimental field, 1 food processing lab - www.agrariofirenze.gov.it/

All that is produced on the farm is sold at the store of the Farming Institute. The company produces and sells seasonal products. You can find on-line information about the seasonal products, which are fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, wine, jams, olive oil and other that are on sale.

The Institute's company comprises a 20-hectare farm altogether in 3 different locations. The activity of the farm is coordinated by one of the professors. The students carry out the practical part to supplement the theoretical classes in the main agricultural sectors.

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Education center for 4 agricultural schools in Rivesaltes

Location: Avenue des Pyrénées, 66600 Rivesaltes, Occitanie, France

Google Maps: bit.ly/2ytUHCD

Organic farm and organic store in the Pyrenees Mountains - www.eplea66.net/spip.php?rubrique6

The school farm is 37.5 ha in organic farming, including 23 h in grape vines, 2.6 ha in apricot trees, 0.3 ha in kiwi trees, 0.5 ha in lettuce and 4-6 ha in durum wheat, whereas the rest of land is planted with ornamental plants p.e. pivonias. The farm is certified with AFAQ, Sustainability Certification 2004, Viticulture certificate Terra Vitis, Organic Farming certificate in arboriculture and crops by ECOCERT.

The school has its store with a tasting room, where the customers can buy wine, season fruits, and olive oil, as well as a hall at school, where the ornamental plants and the seedlings can be bought.

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Community Supported Agriculture classes for CSA School Farm members

Location: School Farm CSA, Old School Farm, Dartington Estate, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6EB, South-east England, The United Kingdom

Google maps : bit.ly/2xY8dxX

Courses and tours at the school farm in the United Kingdom - www.schoolfarmcsa.org.uk/education-and-tours/

Community Supported Agriculture is a membership farming scheme. Members of the farm commit to buying a share of the farm’s harvest for 12-months at a time. This approach allows the farm to invest in the year ahead knowing that is has the support to continue and that the produce will all be eaten as we can grow to meet the demand. Members get more than just vegetables they get a connection with the food production itself, they know how things are growing and what weather is affecting them, they learn what is truly seasonal in South Devon, and they deepen their understanding of the costs of food production, economically, socially and environmentally.

The school offers two-level courses for participants, who are interested in learning how to grow fruits and vegetables by experienced teachers. The courses are taught at the farm’s fields, glasshouses, and polytunnels by experienced growers at School Farm. Topics covered include planning and sourcing the crops, crop rotation, propagation, pests and diseases, feeds and compost, soils and mulching, no-dig methods, transplanting and planting out, aftercare and more. Learning will take place through practice and through experimentation.

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