Barnsley College Agriculture students stepped into the world of livestock trading through an innovative and educational mock auction.

The mock auction, held at the College’s Wigfield Farm campus, featured Level 2 Agriculture and Level 3 Animal Care students acting as sellers, offering a variety of livestock, including rare and minority breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs.

The buyers, fellow land-based students from the working farm, were prepared for the auction with bidding cards and money to allow the selling farmers to gain the full auction experience from moving the animals through to receiving the cash.

This interactive event aimed to equip students with the practical hands-on skills and knowledge necessary for successful agriculture and livestock management careers.

Level 3 Animal Care student Harvey Boyes participated in the event as a farmer selling Ernie, the Gloucestershire Old Spot Boar, and shared his excitement after the event.

He said: “Being part of Wigfield Farm’s very first mock auction was an incredible learning experience – I got to see what I would need to do at a real auction as well as practice the skills moving animals that I have learned while studying at College.”

Throughout the preparation process, students were involved in all aspects of the auction, learning to evaluate livestock, set realistic prices, understand market trends, and practice auctioneering techniques to attract potential buyers.

Macauley Parkin, Agriculture Course Leader at the College who participated in the event as the auctioneer, added: “The very first Wigfield Farm livestock auction was a great success!

“This mock auction allows our students to immerse themselves in a real-world scenario, understanding the complexities of livestock trading and the market dynamics that they will face in their futures as farmers.”

Barnsley College offers full-time vocational courses in Animal Management and Agriculture. For more information and to apply for a course starting in September, visit www.barnsley.ac.uk/animal or www.barnsley.ac.uk/agriculture. Alternatively, contact the Information Team by emailing info@barnsley.ac.uk or calling 01226 216 123.