Record numbers of attendance have been seen at the workshops organised throughout Wales over the past months, making 2007 a very successful year for the project.
Throughout the winter series, the workshops which are provided by CALU with the support of the Welsh College of Horticulture and ADAS, have been praised for the level of sound technical advice provided, grower involvement and clearly presented information.
This season has seen workshops focus on soft fruit, herb and vegetable production.
Free to all members of the local communities, attendees at the workshops have included local growers, both novice to experienced, alongside professionals within the industry, horticulture students and livestock farmers looking for diversification opportunities.
Welsh College of Horticulture lecturer, Robert Mackey, has attended a number of the workshops with students from the Higher National Diploma in Organic Horticulture.
He said: "I have been able to take the students on the HND Organic Horticulture course to these events. It has been invaluable.
"The presenters made sure that they explained and demonstrated the organic approach to crop production and compared it with non-organic.
"The opportunity to see commercial production of crops and to talk to experienced growers and to hear from those hoping to grow fruit and vegetables in the future help to put what they learn in college into context.
"It is refreshing to see production horticulture in Wales succeeding. "Wales can grow excellent crops and we need more people coming into the industry to grow the crops in Wales.
"The Welsh College of Horticulture will provide the training and getting the support from CALU and the industries will open doors for those students to make a contribution to growing crops within the sustainable future of Wales."
All those involved with the workshops are now looking forward, hoping that 2008 will be an even bigger success.


Enterprising time for Northop college students

Testing enterprise skills by raising money for charity has been keeping students busy at the Welsh College of Horticulture in Northop.
Since September, student enterprise teams have been involved in the 'Charity Challenge', coming up with enterprising ideas and bringing those ideas to reality.
On November 15, the college final took place and judges from Careers Wales, local entrepreneurs and the college's g2e Mentor came to see students pitch their enterprising ideas. The judges had a difficult task in selecting winners as all teams demonstrated good planning and enterprise skills.
The students came up with a whole range of money raising ideas from spending a night in a haunted house to a sponsored run in Wepre Park.
Teams from the animal care department swept the board winning the top three prizes, sharing £500 worth of cash prizes sponsored by Greyhound Plant Services of Oswestry.
The overall winners was a team from National Diploma 2 Animal Care. The team costed, designed and photographed a calendar to be sold in aid of North Clwyd Animal Rescue.
The judges thought the team worked well together, producing a good plan and effectively using the skills of each team member.
Adelaide Shone, the college's enterprise manager, said: "There has been a wonderful response to the enterprise competition this year.
"The animal care department really responded to the challenge and the head of the department, Darren Roberts, must be very proud of his students.
"Not only have the animal care teams taken the top three prizes but every student in the department has been busy working on enterprising ideas to raise money for animal related charities."
The overall winning team will now represent the college at the Wales stage of the Global Enterprise Challenge due to take place in Cardiff in February.