Pupils to gain from farm academy grant
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A NAIRN farmer is celebrating after being awarded a £25,000 grant to expand his social enterprise project.
Richard Jones, founder of the Farmer Jones Academy, is one of 15 individuals to have been selected to receive a share of £215,000 from the Scottish Government’s social entrepeneurs fund.
The awards were delivered by Firstport, a Scottish Government agency for start-up social enterprises.
Mr Jones, who was ecstatic at the news, says the money will help him continue to provide practical experience for young people from rural areas.
He said: "We are absolutely delighted that we have got this grant and the aim is to use it to blood fresh, lasting enterprise of the future.
"Even if the young people decide not to go down the farming route, the business skills they will learn will be transferable to other aspects of their lives. We’ve also had a £22,500 grant from Carbon Clever which will help us pay for hardware and help make the experience even more valuable. It is mind-blowing."
The Farmer Jones Academy aims to educate young people about the farming business and food production, giving them skills they can carry forward for the rest of their lives.
Mr Jones said: "We became a social enterprise with some success.
"Money from social enterprise gives us the opportunity to educate youngsters from the farm to the fork.
"We want to help them take that through to become farming entrepeneurs who will know about growing products right through to selling them."
Mr Jones has also teamed up with Nairn Academy and will be holding workshops with some senior pupils.
He said: "We will be teaching the kids how to do everything properly.
"We will mainly be working with S5 and S6 pupils.
"We will have people working with them to teach them business skills as well.
"It really will be the complete package.
"We are absolutely delighted that the school have partnered with us.
"Headteacher Julie MacDonald was very keen to get involved.
"The local councillors are delighted with the plan and the school have really taken it on board."
The next step is for some of the children involved to be able to sell their own products, and Mr Jones says his plans can make that possible.
He added: "We sell Christmas hampers and make them for special occasions but we are now expanding to make more smaller products.
"It’s all to demonstrate the youngsters’ ability at making their own products, and hopefully we will be able to sell some of those.
"We can make that a reality for them which we think is great."
