On 3rd of April the gardening students here at the school went on a study visit to the Muntanyà golf club in Seva. Despite the heavy rain we had the chance to look around the club, guided by those responsible for looking after the lawns. We were shown the different parts of the club, the types of grass on-site, the maintenance work carried out, the watering system and lots more. It was a fascinating visit because the students learnt about the dimensions and level of specialisation involved in running a golf club. The area the club is set in, the Montseny natural park, is also very beautiful. We would like to thank everyone at the Muntanyà golf club for welcoming us and Mr Josep Tió for his collaboration in making the visit possible.
On Friday, 14th March, the second year, medium-level pig breeding students visited the J.Vilaró, Granja Soler rabbit farm in Gurb. It houses 4,100 rabbits; 1,500 of which are for reproduction and many more are bred for consumption. It is a pioneering, open-air facility which has expanded over the years. Ivan, the manager of the farm and an old Quintanes student, gave us an excellent tour and explained all the pros and cons of having a farm such as his.
On the 7th March, in coordination with the fruit production subject, a fruit tree pruning day was organised by the school and run by a sector professional. Many characteristics of the subject were covered, including techniques, commerce and tree diseases. A part of the day was also dedicated to recognition of various shoot and bud types. Following this, there was a course of actual pruning apple and peach trees, and it was all thanks to Mr Josep Font, and his very own trees and explanations. We would like to thank him for all the help he gave our students on the day in question.
On Thursday 6th March the second-year, medium-level Forestry students went over to Riells del Montseny to see first-hand how the Cusachs family work in the forest. The aim was to see different types of forest regeneration and reforestation, which we saw in areas where certain pine species were uprooted and replaced by chestnut trees because of the fruit they bear. We also saw how other types of pine trees have also been replaced by chestnuts but without as much success due to the presence of wild boar in the area. In various other zones we saw the natural regeneration of oaks and holly oaks. The students also took advantage of the visit to speak to the Cusachs family about all manner of forest-related subjects; like forest fires, rural tourism and cork production.
On Friday 21st of February, the first-year, higher-level Forestry students and those from the Pig-breeding course too visited the third edition of the biomass fair. They visited all the stands at the fair to try and get as much information as possible about new machinery in the sector and the different types of biomass to burn. It was a very interesting visit as the students found out about the potential this product has as an energy fuel.
