Agriculture students enjoy Czech study tour
Published: Tuesday 23 June 2026A group of Myerscough College agriculture students and staff have returned from a study tour to the Czech Republic.
The party of Level 3 and T-Level students spent four days visiting farms, producers, suppliers, and enjoying sightseeing and enrichment opportunities.
Here's a diary of how the tour unfolded.
You can watch videos of the trip on this Facebook page
Day 1
Our first day was spent exploring Prague and getting to know the country before the farm visits begin tomorrow.
We visited Prague Castle, crossed the impressive Charles Bridge, which is more than 600 years old and stretches more than 500 metres across the Vltava River, wandered through Old Town Square, and watched the famous Astronomical Clock. Of course, we also sampled some local food, with Trdelník (chimney cake) proving particularly popular.
It was great to see the students fully engaged, taking everything in and asking plenty of questions throughout the day.
Lots of steps, a bit of sightseeing, and our first taste of Czech culture. We’re looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week has in store.
Day 2
Today we visited two family farms and learned how agriculture changed during the 1950s under the communist collectivisation policy and how these farms then went back to their families 40 years later.
Our first stop was a 60 cow dairy farm near Jihlava, where we learned about the farm’s history, herd management and the use of robotics for milking, and on-site cheese production. Sampling the cheeses was a highlight of the visit.
In the afternoon, we toured an organic goat farm with 1,000 goats housed in 200 year old barns. It was interesting to compare the two systems and hear about the opportunities and challenges of organic farming. The students enjoyed meeting the goats, along with some food and drink sampling.
We also visited the Historic Centre of Telč, a UNESCO world heritage site with more than 450 years of history.
Day 3
This morning we visited a 1,000-hectare family farm growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape and poppy seed. It was interesting to hear how the family has built and developed the business over the years.
In the afternoon we saw farming on a completely different scale at JTZE Farms, a 40,000-hectare co-operative. Seeing the arable enterprise alongside the biogas operation was impressive, and there was plenty of machinery to look around too.
Both farms gave a great insight into Czech agriculture.
We rounded off the day with some time in the beautiful city of Olomouc.
Day 4
Our final day started with the journey back towards Prague, but not before one last farm visit. We stopped at a livestock Farm, Bonagro, where we saw a large mixed enterprise with 1,000 Holstein Friesian cows producing 1.1 million litres of milk per month, along with 5.5 thousand hectares of crops including wheat, maize, sorghum, vineyards and an orchard.
However, no farm visit would be complete without the obligatory tour of the machinery sheds, containing 35 John Deere tractors, 8 combine harvesters, 2 forage harvesters and a wide range of cultivators.
It was a fitting final visit and a good reminder of the scale and efficiency of many Czech farming businesses.
After lunch, it was on to Prague Airport and time to head home. The students have been a credit throughout the trip, engaging with every visit and making the most of the experience. Lots learned, plenty discussed, and no doubt a few ideas to take back home.
Agriculture tutor, Liz Johnson, added: ‘’As we arrive home from a fantastic study tour, we'd like to say a huge thank you to Bay Farm Tours for organising an excellent programme of visits throughout the week.
‘’We'd also like to thank Clark & Pulman and Massey Feeds for their generous support and contributions towards the study tour and student clothing.
‘’The students have gained valuable insights into Czech agriculture and thank you to everyone who helped make the study tour possible.
‘’And, a special thank you to Tomas for being such a patient and knowledgeable guide throughout our trip.’’