Jerman and Studley College Trust Scholarships: Thomas Austin

Tom Austin, third year FdSc Agriculture with Mechanisation student and recipient of a Jerman Scholarship.

“I applied for the Jerman scholarship as I believed it would provide the help that I need to complete the course here at Harper Adams. Receiving the award means I will have more time and commitment to to study. Not having to work during term time will increase my chances of completing my final year without fault. It will allow me to achieve the best I can within the course and be fully prepared to progress onto the next step of my career”, says Tom, 22.

“I applied for the Studley College Trust Scholarship this year as reading what the trust supports made me ponder why I did not apply before, as I fall straight into the criteria. I am wholly grateful for the awarding of both scholarships, not only will it allow my continuation at Harper Adams, I also plan to partake in a course, in summer 2019, that will be positive personal development towards my future career, looking at the use of aquaculture alongside hydroponics and vertical farming, and hopefully will teach me more sustainable methods to take into the future.

“In the long term, I want to follow on into the fresh produce and vegetable industry, with a focus on the technology we will see introduced to help meet demand. As well as picking up an interest in vertical farming, a principal I have recently been introduced to. I also would like to see and aid the use of more ‘green’ power in the industry, allowing businesses within the rural economies to capitalise on this change, while providing education to the general public about what we do and why.”

For Tom, from Kings Bromley, Staffordshire, agriculture has been a passion from a young age.

“I was raised in a semi-rural area of the West-Midlands, between Lichfield and Burton, with two brothers and a sister providing a varied, interesting and hands-on upbringing. The interest in agriculture started with my grand-parents small farm in Walsall. This was reinforced when I got welcomed into the dairy farm local to where we lived, starting off as casual weeknights work. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and from there it developed into weekends and holidays.

“Here I learnt animal husbandry, basic aspects of grassland production, minor aspects of arable rotations and the related standard practice. I owe my humble gratitude to this relatively small family business for leading me to fall in love with farming.”