Daisy Daws, Spence Agricultural Scholar 2025

I would say my biggest achievement this year was the big move from home to Harper Adams University. As this was my first time being away from home it was a major change. However, I’ve been able to make plenty of friends through different courses, which was much easier than I expected. I’ve really enjoyed my first year and being away from home as it improved my initiative skills and has greatly improved my independence.

I undertook 50 hours of work experience at a sheep farm doing lambing for my Skills for Agriculture assignment. I had lambed a little before, but this farm has around 2,400 ewes and I’d never worked with that scale of livestock before. I was able to develop my confidence with lambing as well as my initiative and leadership skills. It was very fast paced due to the large scale of sheep which I feel I learned more from as there was more jobs to do and I can now take these skills I have learned and developed onto my next workplace.

I also completed two farm skills sessions on the Harper Adams University (HAU) Future Farm. I firstly completed feeding and general calf husbandry, where I was able to help prepare the milk and bottles and give it out to the calves. I then helped put straw in their shelter so that they had fresh bedding. Secondly, I fed lactating sows. Here I measured out the amount of feed each sow needed and poured it into their trough. Then I got to hold the piglets, which was exciting for me as I have never been around pigs before. Finally, I completed a crop walk for cereals, where we looked at the crop trials, this was interesting to me as I have always liked agronomy. We got a talk from the course leader of agriculture who told us all about the crop trials and how they differ.

My coursework and exams seem to be going very well and I’m averaging between 60%-70%. I have really enjoyed the course for the first year and I have learnt lots and I’m really looking forward to the second year.

This year I am dedicating my scholarship money to paying back my student loan for the first year of the course.