Scholarship provides ‘invaluable’ support to Harper Adams University student

Posted 3 March 2017

Following his first word being ‘tractor’ it makes sense that Luke Ormond was destined to go into agricultural engineering.

To support him during his studies this year, BEng (Hons) Agricultural Engineering student Luke has been awarded a scholarship by the Studley College Trust.

The 22 year-old from Northwich, Cheshire, said: “I received a scholarship from the Studley College Trust in previous years of study, and the support it gave me was invaluable for many reasons. I’m so pleased that they have chosen to continue supporting me this year.

“The financial support will help me pay for travel relating to my dissertation which reflects my keen interest in developing new technologies to allow farmers to produce food more efficiently with less impact on the environment.

“The relevance of my interests will benefit the rural community directly as it harnesses Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to maximise production whilst maintaining a focus on the quality of soil. Chemical inputs are minimised while still providing the crucial needs for growing plants optimally.

“I’m very interested in the combination of these two areas especially as machines are becoming increasingly smarter. They can collect data to furnish the farmer with key figures so they can take the right action at the right time to protect crops, farm precisely and maintain the optimum balance of nutrients within the soil.

“This is the combination of work I should like to move into when I qualify. I feel that I shall have a valuable part to play as an agricultural engineer working within the sector for which I retain such passion and interest.

“The reason I applied to Harper Adams University to study agricultural engineering remains as true as ever. I volunteered at an early age to help on a mixed farm locally in Cheshire and my passion for agriculture, and machinery in particular, blossomed and led to me gaining my tractor licence at 16.

“My passion for the countryside itself remains as strong as ever too with an increasing determination to forge a career within this environment where I can support the aim of achieving sustainable, agricultural, food production together with the maintaining of respect for the balance of nature and the people who live within it.

“I aim to become a chartered engineer, specialising in GPS, and to eventually have my own business within the GPS sector.”