Everyone is rightly concerned about education in horticulture at the moment, and the question of where the next generation is going to come from.

But, as the articles on pages 16 and 20 show, the industry is battling back. The MDS-Harper Adams collaboration has been created to directly give those with management potential the chance to gain practical and applicable training.

It is a breakthrough development that offers real promise for the managers of tomorrow.

Colleges are also looking closely at their offering and the way in which they present themselves to prospective students.

To hear Askham Bryan’s Andy Mahy reporting a significant rise in interest for its horticulture foundation degree courses, is great news, particularly as they are looking to add management elements to the course.

And looking even further towards the future, this week’s pages include numerous examples of companies and organisations working with children to demonstrate how crops are grown, encourage them to cook, and generally show them that produce can be fun.

With all the concern surrounding the seasonal labour situation at the moment, it’s good to be able to bring some good news on the labour front.