PUPILS from eight Borders schools have benefitted from a two-day Food and Farming event held at Springwood Park.

The free event, delivered by Royal Highland Educational Trust (RHET), highlighted the importance and diversity of the rural sector to the Scottish Borders.

Each day the S2 and S3 pupils travelled around a series of interactive workshops, delivered by experts from the rural sector.

Workshops included: bread making, Breed ‘N’ Betsy rectal palpation simulator, which allowed pupils to practice diagnosis of pregnancy in cattle, fish filleting and cooking and navigating a course with a GPS self-steering tractor.

Selkirk High School pupil, Hamish Reid, 13, said: “I enjoyed learning about the different types of fish and trying cooked mackerel.

" also enjoyed the debate about food miles and carbon footprint with the University of Edinburgh and hearing different points of view.

"I ow want to think about a career as an agricultural engineer.

With the rural sector making up 21 per cent of the 5800 Borders businesses, pupils had the opportunity to see the variety of careers available within the sector.

It is hoped the event encourages more youngsters to consider the rural sector as a viable career path.

Gill Geddes, Peebles High School teacher, said: “The RHET Food and Farming Day was hugely enjoyable and provided pupils with the chance to develop a variety of employability-related and transferable skills.

"It’s clear to see the links between subjects like science, geography, business administration, home economics to careers in the rural sector.”

The event was supported by DYW Borders and funded by the Scottish Government,

Lesley Mason, RHET Borders co-ordinator, told us: “I am very grateful to all the partner organisations that helped to deliver these sessions to the pupils.

"I think it is so important that not only do out pupils learn how their food is produced, but they get an insight into the huge range of careers within the rural sector."

The local schools which took part were Peebles High, Hawick High, Selkirk High, Galashiels, Earlston High, Berwickshire High, Jedburgh Grammar and Eyemouth High.

Andrea Hall, programme manager, DYW Borders, said: “DYW Borders are committed to giving young Borderers the opportunity to contextualise what they do in the classroom with the world of work.

"Through this event, RHET and the contributors have successfully achieved this and we look forward to working with them again in the future."