Farmer's Weekly Agricultural Student of the Year contender Chloe Gimson looks back at four successful years at Harper Adams.

All of our graduates go on to have successful careers, but with two scholarships, two performance-based placement awards, and a shortlisting in the Farmers Weekly Agricultural Student of the year awards, it is safe to say that Chloe Gimson is starting as she means to go on. 

“I have been fortunate to be awarded two scholarships during my time here as well as two awards for my performance on placement, but I am still in shock about being shortlisted for Agricultural Student of the year,” says Chloe, who has just recently finished her BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Farm Business Management Degree.  

Coming from an outdoor-based sow-breeding pig farm in West Suffolk, Chloe’s main agricultural interests are, understandably, pigs and the championing of British Pork with Ladies in Pigs.  

Chloe admits that she is a little “pig crazy” - so much so that to friends she is known as “Piggy Chlo” and can be found undertaking various charity running events dressed in a pig costume. 

“Recently, I undertook a challenge run by the National Pig Association in which I dressed up in a pig mascot costume and ran a mile a day in it to raise money for the Farming Community Network. I have also been known to compete in the mascot races at agricultural shows dressed up in the costume!” 

Having grown up in agriculture and then gaining further agricultural experience during her gap year, the 22-year-old explains that she: “wanted to study the subject further at degree level and explore the huge variety of careers within the industry. 

I chose Harper Adams due to its world-class facilities and its expertise in the Agricultural sector, but, for me the main reason was definitely the compulsory placement year and the advantage it provides in the graduate job market.”  

Chloe, who is a grade 8 pianist and violinist, originally enrolled on Harper’s FdSc Agriculture course but was invited to transfer to a BSc course after achieving the necessary academic results in her first year. 

 “I decided to transfer to the Agriculture with Farm Business Management program, due to my growing interest in agricultural consultancy and the business side of farming - and also because I felt it opened up greater and more varied career opportunities,” says Chloe.  

Outside of her studies, Chloe has really enjoyed the social life at Harper - and cites the Student Union nights and society/club socials as personal favourites of hers. 

She also adds that “the variety of clubs and societies at Harper is fantastic and I loved the fact Harper has its own off-roading track on campus - with club vehicles you could use if you didn’t have your own.”  

Final-year Chloe now plans to take the summer off before starting her next chapter in September working as a Food and Farming Graduate at Savills in Oxford.