The School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development is celebrating 125 years of agricultural research and teaching at Newcastle.  The first Chair of Agriculture was established in 1891 at what was then the College of Science, (later to become Armstrong College) so this predates the university itself by some considerable margin.  In1992, with the establishment of the Centre for Rural Economy, social science was brought into the mix.  During the coming academic year we will be celebrating with a series of events and seminars. Head of the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Professor Rob Edwards said: “On the 125th anniversary of agriculture at Newcastle there are many parallels in the challenges faced by UK farmers then and now: a difficult trading environment, a need for improved productivity and the endless need for change and innovation. The original Department was founded on its links with the industry and, just like our academic forebears, we continue the tradition of conducting research that makes a difference and of training the next generation of farming practitioners. The one difference is that our current approach to training and research extends beyond farming to include agribusiness, the food supply chain and healthy diets, and the links with rural enterprise. With that integrated vision in mind, we look forward to another 125 years of delivering innovation and new skills to the sector.”