Six future farmers win Sustainable Agriculture Bursary

October 12, 2020

Jordans Cereals and The Prince’s Countryside Fund are excited to announce the six lucky beneficiaries of the Sustainable Agriculture Bursary in 2020: Alice Lloyd (RAU), Eliot Pears (RAU), Philip Betteridge (RAU), Astrid Stubbings (Reading), Dan Weaver (Reading), and Grace Parrish (Reading).

The Sustainable Agriculture Bursary supports the winners’ academic studies at either the Royal Agricultural University or the University of Reading, helping them to pursue their interest in, and knowledge of, sustainable farming and agricultural practices by providing them with a £3000 cash award in their first year, and a further £1000 cash award (provided by their university) in both their second and third years of study. The second year of the bursary was highly competitive with three times as many applications compared to 2019/20.

The winners are looking forward to the opportunities that the bursary will give them over the next three years including mentoring and further qualifications. These will help set them up for their future careers in creating a sustainable future for agriculture.

Alice said: “When I heard I had been awarded the bursary, I was overwhelmed, I never thought I would get this far. It is a great achievement, and I am very grateful to Jordans and The Prince’s Countryside Fund for giving me this opportunity. I hope to gain knowledge and learn from mentors to improve and make a difference to the future of farming.”

Grace said: “I am so excited to be given the opportunity to be working with experts in the field and continue my own personal development for my studies and future career. Coming from a family arable farm, the support and guidance I will receive from the mentoring and extra opportunities this bursary provides will prove invaluable. I will be able to directly implement the knowledge to make a real change towards a more sustainable future for farming.”

Keith Halstead, Executive Director at The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “The Fund is delighted to support these six impressive future farmers as part of our partnership with Jordans Cereals. We look forward to working with them throughout their university education as they endeavour to create a more sustainable future for agriculture.”

Mia Hartwell, Sustainability Manager at Jordans Cereals said: “At Jordans, we believe that producing our food needn’t come at the expense of our world. More and more, we are all realising the importance of protecting nature, so we’re proud to support these six talented students as they begin their journey to become pioneers in sustainable agriculture.”

Jordans, the Fund, the RAU and Reading are dedicated to caring for nature and the environment, and the bursary is part of their joint long-term commitment to help build a more sustainable future for agriculture.

To find out more about the bursary, click here.