Level 3 Agriculture student Olivia Parker has been awarded a £500 Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Further Education Bursary. She impressed the judging panel with her essay response to ‘Why I am studying agriculture’.

In her application, Olivia said:

“Not only has this industry taught me skills and abilities, it has also made me feel passionate and committed to making a change to encourage the younger generation to follow.”

Despite not coming from a farming background, she is determined to build a career in agriculture.

Meanwhile, University Centre Somerset BSc (Hons) Agricultural Management student Zoe has been awarded a £750 Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Higher Education Bursary.

When asked how she would use her bursary, Zoe said:

“I would like to put it towards some short courses which could make me more employable, such as an ATV certificate and renewing my emergency first aid at work certificate.”

Now in their third year, the Cornish Mutual bursaries were expanded in 2023 to include both further and higher education students, as well as introducing an overall Cornish Mutual South West Agricultural Student of the Year award. In a written or video essay, applicants for the Further Education bursaries were asked to explain ‘Why I am studying agriculture’ with Higher Education applications detailing ‘What excited me about the future of agriculture’.

Entries were judged by a panel including Cornish Mutual Managing Director Peter Beaumont. “We were delighted to receive a number of high-quality applications for our bursaries,” said Peter Beaumont, Cornish Mutual Managing Director. “Both Zoe and Olivia displayed their passion for the industry and showed determination to play a positive role in the future of agriculture.”

The Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries are part of the Future Farming Programme, which supports the future of agriculture in the region. To find out more, visit: https://www.cornishmutual.co.uk/cmfuturefarming/young-farmer-bursaries/

You can find out more about studying Agriculture courses at BTC here and at UCS here, and by coming along to our next Cannington campus Open Day.