Students get set for inaugural National Agricultural Student Speaker of the Year contest

Posted 6 March 2019

Two Harper Adams students will be taking on their counterparts from across the country in the inaugural National Agricultural Student Speaker of the Year Award, organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of England

The competition aims to engage current agricultural students on the issues of the day and to promote the thinking of our next generation of agriculturalists to the sector.

England’s agricultural universities and colleges have been invited to put forward their finalists to present their speech on topical agricultural opportunities and challenges.

Representing Harper Adams will be Philippa Gray and Sophie Thornton, both final year students.

Philippa is studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Animal Science. Philippa comes from a sheep farm in Yorkshire. A keen shepherdess she has a range of experience in the sheep sector and completed a 12-month placement with Stockley Farm Partnership, an organic dairy farm with visitor centre. Philippa will address the title: "21st Century: The dawn of the wool age?"

Sophie is studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Marketing. Sophie is not from a home farm, but has a range of livestock experience with beef and sheep and, further along the supply chain, she completed a 12-month placement with Avara Foods. Sophie will address the title: "Blockchain: can it change the future of farming?".

The final will be held on Thursday 21st March 2019 at 5.30pm in the Boutflour Hall at the Royal Agricultural University.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges, Chaired by Anna Jones of Just Farmers and will receive the 2019 trophy, membership to the Society and an all-expenses paid trip to the 2020 Oxford Farming Conference.

The competition is kindly sponsored by the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity and the Iliffe Family Charitable Trust.

For tickets visit: studentspeakeraward.eventbrite.co.uk