Duchy College Students Win Prestigious Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries for 2023

Two ambitious students from Duchy College Stoke Climsland have been awarded the prestigious Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries for 2023, marking their exceptional commitment and passion for agriculture.

Isabella Rhodes, a university student at Duchy College, part of The Cornwall College Group (TCCG), has been honoured with the first Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Higher Education Bursary of £750. An active member and chair of the Cornwall Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Agriculture group, Isabella is deeply invested in the agricultural sector.

Her dedication is evident in her statement, “When I am not studying I split my time between work and Young Farmers Club, there is not a second of my waking day when I’m not thinking about agriculture in some form.” Her interest in bovine genetics, bolstered by a placement with a genetics company, highlights her determination to pursue a career in this field.

Alongside Isabella, Henry Matthews, a Level 2 Land-based engineering student at the same college, has been awarded a £500 Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Further Education Bursary. Growing up on his family’s beef and sheep farm, Henry has developed a herd of pedigree Texel sheep. His involvement as the Junior Vice Chairman of his local Young Farmer Club showcases his deep-rooted connection to agriculture. Henry plans to use the bursary to enhance his technical skills, stating, “I will use it to buy a new welding mask with an air filter and to expand my tool collection to apply what I have learnt on my course to our machinery at home.”

The Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries, now in their third year and part of the Future Farming Programme, have expanded in 2023 to encompass both further and higher education students. This year also saw the introduction of the overall student of the year award. The bursaries aim to support and nurture the future of agriculture in the region.

Peter Beaumont, Managing Director of Cornish Mutual, expressed his delight at the high-quality applications received for the bursaries. He commended Henry for his drive to apply his learned knowledge to his family’s farm and local farming businesses. Beaumont also praised Isabella for her positive attitude towards change and challenges, noting her hard work to expand her knowledge and experience in agriculture despite not coming from a farming background.

These awards underscore the commitment of Cornish Mutual to fostering the next generation of agricultural professionals. To learn more about the annual bursary scheme, interested parties are encouraged to visit the Cornish Mutual website.