Engineering student wants to help make farmers’ jobs easier

Posted 18 July 2017

Harper Adams University student John Nixon was brought-up on a farm and saw the hard work that went into keeping it running.

His love for machinery and agriculture led to him becoming a student at Harper, studying MEng Agricultural Engineering, with the hope that he’ll be able to engineer solutions which will make the work farmers put in more productive and efficient.

The 20 year-old from Congleton, Cheshire, said: “I’ve always been interested in machinery, as every farmer's boy is. My box full of tractors, trailers and other machinery was endless fun.

“When I grew-up and started working on the farm, learning to drive the Ford 4610 and straw carting was great fun but doing the monotonous jobs like bedding-up by hand and feeding the pigs made me realise that being a farm labourer is not an easy job.

“My dad always told me that I could work on the farm after I'd made a living doing something else. I always thought I would go into the army and go to the farm once I was 30.

“Now I realise why he wanted me to do something else; it wasn't to bring back new skills or techniques, it was to make me not become a farmer.

“He knew that as soon as l started on something different I’d never go back; he didn't want me to work so hard for so little in return.

“Farming is an essential industry and making it more efficient is vital for it to stay productive in this country. I’d love to engineer solutions that make farmers more productive, more efficient, safer, and just make their lives easier.

“Agricultural engineering is my new passion; it's the perfect mix between my farming roots and my logical, physics and maths-based mind.

“To get through university and come out with a Master's degree in engineering would be the best thing to happen to me in my life.

“I hope that with this degree and a few years in industry I could become a chartered engineer.

In recognition of John’s ambition, he has been presented an Alamo – Bomford Turner Scholarship. He said: “I’d like to thank Alamo for presenting me with this scholarship. I’ll be able to expand my learning experience.

“I plan to put the financial support towards resources for my course.”