Connor Jackson, Spence Agricultural Scholar 2024

I’ll start by saying what a year it’s been and how quickly it’s flown by! This time last year I was thinking about applying for the scholarship and here I am a year later having survived my first year at Harper Adams and all of the joys it has brought. 

Starting my first term, I was a little nervous but quickly met loads of new friends through my course and the Harper Adams University Offroading Club of which I quickly became a member. I’ve really enjoyed the new Agriculture course this year and found a lot of my modules really interesting. The crops and livestock modules have been a great mix of lectures and practical sessions like field walks around the Harper farm, and despite struggling initially I think I’ve managed to get my head around our Farm Business Management lectures. Exams are finally over and I’ve survived so it looks like I’m back for another year!

In November, I went to London with the Agricultural Society for the first farmer’s protest at Westminster for the day. It was amazing to see so many people out in full force in support, farmers or not, and obviously a small look round of London was due once we had finished, seeing as a few of us had never been before. 

Studies commenced once again until January when myself and my friends decided to spend a day at the Lamma show for a look at all the new equipment on display and the companies that had set up stands. It was a great day out and well worth the drive to Birmingham. As studies took over a lot more of my time, I struggled to find the time for events but still managed to attend a few talks for companies such as Velcourt, put on in evenings by the Agrics society which I am excited to be a part of next year, replacing our current sports and social exec. Hopefully we can make the society even bigger and better next year but that’s for a little further in the future. More recently, a trip to Cereals show was pencilled into my diary for June but with exams ongoing I had to make the decision to abandon that in favour of revision. 

Now the academic year is over, I’m back working at a local beef and arable farm that I’ve worked at, part time, for the past couple of years. As I’m writing this, silage is in full swing and I’ve barely left the seat of the baler tractor. Luckily, our barley is looking nearly ready to harvest so we will soon be dusting off the combine. 

The scholarship has been an amazing help this year, allowing me to enjoy university life without having to worry constantly about my finances and has also allowed me to buy lots of useful things for my course such as textbooks and allow me to go on many different trips that I wouldn’t have even previously considered. It has also allowed me to complete my telehandler, Pa1, Pa2 and Pa4 qualifications which have already been incredibly helpful. It was lovely to finally meet James from the Trust and my fellow scholars who it turned out I had been sharing a tutorial group with all year without even realizing!