Agricultural Student of the Year
2020 Finalists
Sponsored by Kubota
Showcasing the achievements and contributions the next generation has to offer.
Oliver Chapman, Agriculture, Riseholme College
Oliver is balancing academia while working full-time as a sheep auctioneer and trainee agricultural valuer with Masons and Melton Mowbray Market. He has been instrumental in increasing sheep numbers at Louth Market and has worked with local schoolchildren to promote food provenance and its role within the supply chain. Thanks to his inventiveness during the Covid-19 pandemic, Oliver has run activity through social media so vendors could see in real-time what their stock was selling for. He is chairman of his local farmers’ discussion group, Eastern region secretary for the British Charollais Society and vice-chairman of Louth YFC.
Megan Edwards, Agriculture with Animal Science, Harper Adams University
From a non-farming background, Megan has completed a diverse range of work placements and developed a passion to pursue the poultry sector. She has been awarded multiple scholarships, including one from Avara Foods where she successfully completed a placement year and secured a full-time graduate position. During university, Megan was appointed course ambassador, RAG chairman and site warden. She is a member of Holstein Young Breeders, winning member of the year in 2015, while also competing in many stockmanship competitions. Megan’s future plans include applying for industry poultry programmes and to travel overseas to learn more about the sector across a global scale.
Hannah McGrath, PhD student at Rothamsted Research & University of Reading
Hannah works with industry stakeholders to help protect vegetables from viruses transmitted by greenfly. Working in fields which grow 13 million carrots destined for the supermarket, she collects data to help farmers make sustainable farming decisions, improve profitability, and enhance their biodiversity and engagement with the public. She has built a significant following on social media through content and video, making complex science more accessible and hosting a podcast to share knowledge with younger and consumer audiences. Hannah has led workshops at the Agri Tech East’s Young Innovator Forum and is a member of Rothamsted’s equality and diversity committee.
Grace Welling, Agriculture with Crop Management, Harper Adams University
Alongside significant academic achievements, Grace has achieved her APHA licence for herbage crop inspections and completed her FACTS and BASIS qualifications. Previously a student and course ambassador, she completed a 12-month work placement with the Syngenta crop protection team, winning an award for her overall performance. Grace was previously Alresford YFC chairman and has enjoyed competition achievements in cross country, public speaking, stockjudging and tug-of-war. On the family farm, she has successfully co-developed Burcot Farm Christmas Trees and wants to continue her role building the business. Grace now works with Germinal and is realising her ambition of becoming a grassseed agronomist.