FW Awards 2022: Ag Student of the Year finalists

Enterprising, industrious and thoughtful, this year’s finalists stand out as three young people ready to meet the challenge of helping the industry through its financial and environmental transition.

The trio have impressed in the classroom and out in the fields, showing the value of combining academic learning with practical work.

See also: Farmers Weekly Awards: 2021 Ag Student of the Year finalists

---

The finalists:

Sam Allison
Chichester, Sussex

Ben Chilman
Presteigne, Herefordshire

Elin Protheroe
Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

---

The judges:

Jess Langton
2021 Ag Student of the Year

Ed Henderson
Farmers Weekly news reporter

Alex Dunn
Independent judge and farm manager

---

Sam Allison

Chichester, Sussex

Sam Allison has made remarkable progress for someone who feels he may have found farming by accident.

The 24-year-old is not from a farming background, but has always been interested in gardening.

His need to earn some money when he was a teenager led him to work on a local arable and dairy farm, which inspired him to study agriculture at college and eventually take a job at fresh produce company Barfoots.

It was here his boss saw Sam’s potential in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector, encouraging him to apply to Harper Adams University.

Four years on, Sam has finished his degree, established a successful pick-your-own (PYO) business in his hometown, Chichester, and returned to Barfoots to work as an assistant crop production manager.

Student life

Sam says he is most proud of his foundation degree, which he worked hard to top up to graduate with a BSc Agriculture with Crop Management.

“It has brought the greatest opportunities to the beginning of my career in agriculture, opening doors I did not think would have been possible,” Sam says.

“I was able to find out which area I enjoyed most and where to grow my career.”

As an active member of Harper’s shooting club, Sam enjoyed life outside the classroom after managing the initial nerves all students feel moving away from home for the first time.

Sam’s tutors note his inquisitive nature and ability to ask practical questions related to the business and agronomy elements of his degree.

This knowledge has been used to great effect, helping Sam create Dell Quay PYO.

Farming engagement

Working with business partners Nick Cottrell and Matthew Higgs, Sam has established 20 polytunnels at the PYO site in Chichester.

He is in charge of growing the strawberries and raspberries, and says it has been a steep learning curve, which included taking a year out to focus on the business before he topped up his degree and graduated this summer.

By applying knowledge from his degree and help from an agronomist, the quality of the crop has improved.

Sam is passionate about speaking to customers, explaining the importance of supporting local produce that is grown in a sustainable way.

“One of the main reasons I set up the pick-your-own was to offer the community somewhere to come and pick local produce, learn where it comes from and the effort that goes into growing it,” Sam says.

To reduce insecticide use, Sam introduced lacewings, hoverflies and parasitic wasps to help deal with aphids.

“They performed exceptionally well at a fraction of the cost of a conventional insecticide, confirming that farmers must give nature a chance.”

There are plans to expand the growing operation, and pumpkins will return this October following their success last year.

“A lot of people thought I was making a very big decision at a young age to take on such a big project, but this was my opportunity to make my mark in the farming community,” Sam says.

What’s next?

Sam has secured a graduate job at Barfoots, where he will develop management skills in various parts of the business. But this will not be to the detriment of Dell Quay PYO.

“I am passionate about growing, farming and the environment. I fully commit my time and effort to everything I do, to make sure it is as successful as it possibly can be.”

What the judges say

Sam is inquisitive and business-savvy. This entrepreneurship and desire to keep learning in order to improve his pick-your-own business mark him out as one to watch in the UK soft fruit sector.

Ben Chilman

Presteigne, Herefordshire

Whether he is behind the microphone, out in the fields or attending industry events, Ben Chilman’s enthusiasm for UK agriculture is evident in everything he does.

The 22-year-old grew up on a mixed family farm in north Herefordshire, immersing himself in the family business and gaining years of practical arable and livestock experience.

His ambition is to run the farm when his parents retire.

He has seized every opportunity available to him at Harper Adams University and now has his sights set on a career in the farming media, having shown himself to be a talented broadcaster.

Ben’s podcast, EweTurn, has been praised for its light-hearted but candid conversations about agriculture and important industry issues such as mental health.

He has also commentated on a football final at Wembley, as part of his media role at Hereford FC.

Student life

Studying Agriculture with Farm Business Management at BSc level has given Ben the confidence and knowledge to eventually take on the family farm.

He took full advantage of a placement year at the Co-op, working as an agricultural marketing co-ordinator.

“I was passionate about ensuring that the Co-op listened to what our farmers had to say, adapting our farming producer groups to suit them,” Ben says.

Despite the challenges of working remotely for large parts of the placement due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ben proved to be a real asset to the Co-op.

He led on several projects to promote British produce, as well as deliver farm training to supermarket colleagues.

Ben received the 2018 NFU Mutual Agricultural Undergraduate Award, which marked him out as a future rural leader.

The award also led to him attending the Oxford Farming Conference, with his tutors explaining he was tactful, sensible and would represent Harper Adams well.

Farming engagement

Ben has taken an active role on the 405ha family farm and has helped introduce better yield monitoring for the cereal enterprise.

The 22-year-old has been a member of Presteigne Young Farmers Club (YFC) for the past 10 years, and is set to become its next chairman.

Ben noticed the difficulty many farmers were having during the coronavirus pandemic, when contact with other people was severely limited.

He decided start the EweTurn podcast with two friends, Ted and Nog, to promote the importance of good mental health and talk about the support available.

“We’ve been taken aback by the support the podcast has had and we’ve been able to champion and support mental health charities, particularly the DPJ Foundation with our links to Mid-Wales,” Ben says.

The fortnightly episodes are averaging 1,000 listeners and the podcasters hope to have hit 50,000 downloads by Christmas.

Ben says it has been a challenge to juggle recording and editing with his other commitments, but he makes it work by planning his week thoroughly and sticking to his timetable.

“Every time I hear a story from a listener about how the podcast has helped them, provided a bit of a release or just the enjoyment of listening, it makes it feel worthwhile.”

What’s next?

Ben admits he would love to present Countryfile and is eager to pursue a broadcasting career, using the skills he is sharpening through EweTurn, and as a football commentator.

“I have always wanted to go into rural broadcasting and champion British agriculture – something the podcast has reinforced.”

What the judges say

Ben is a skilled communicator and is using his talent to help promote the industry and address key issues such as poor mental health, while playing a prominent role on his mixed family farm.

Elin Protheroe

Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

Bags of farming talent and a determined attitude have given Elin Protheroe the perfect start to her career in agriculture, which began in Mid-Wales but could soon take her as far as New Zealand and Australia.

The 20-year-old helps run the family sheep and cattle farm near Beulah, southern Powys, and is already making a name for herself as one of Wales’ brightest young farming talents.

Elin has shown impressive commitment to supporting food production in Wales and is inspired by other female farmers who are achieving great things in the industry.

Completing an agriculture diploma has allowed her to study while continuing to work on the farm, which she hopes to one day run herself.

Student life

Elin says she considered going to university, but due to her passion for the family farm and the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, she pursued a higher national diploma at Newtown College, about an hour’s drive from home.

It was here she impressed tutors with her awareness of farming history in the area, as well as an understanding of current affairs and how issues might affect the farming sector.

In February, Elin was named College Young Learner of the Year by Lantra Wales.

The prestigious award is given to students under the age of 20 who are developing a career within the environmental and land-based industries and have shown a commitment to vocational education and training since leaving school.

Farming engagement

Elin has proved herself to be an adept wool handler and enjoys competing.

“I have been lucky enough to win at county and all-Wales level, and wool handling through YFC has allowed me to create many contacts,” Elin says.

In sweltering conditions at this year’s Royal Welsh Show, Elin finished seventh in the intermediate category.

She is seen as a potential heir to wool-handling champion Aled Jones, who was brought up on his family’s upland beef and sheep farm in Dolyfelin, near Builth Wells.

Elin is passionate about protecting the future of food production in Wales and is wary of government plans to plant more trees in the country to help reach environmental targets.

“The biggest issues we face, especially for common land, is how are the carbon credits going to be given out?”

She introduced regular weighing of lambs on the family farm, much to the delight of her dad. “We’ve got new weigh scales and he loves it,” Elin says.

“It is about making sure we have data to support our choices.”

Elin is secretary of Troedrhiwdalar YFC and has taken part in various competitions, including stockjudging. She wants to be a role model for other young women who want a career in agriculture.

“I think it is quite important to change the way people think about female farmers. I don’t want people coming to my yard anymore and saying ‘where’s your dad?’ You don’t need to look for them, as I am here.”

What’s next?

Elin has decided to top up her HND in Agriculture at Aberystwyth University and then plans to travel to New Zealand and Australia, with the help of contacts made through wool handling, to learn more about farming in those countries and expand her knowledge.

“I am really passionate about the industry. I want to do well and promote all the good things British farmers are doing.”

What the judges say

Elin demonstrates farming knowledge beyond her years and her fierce desire to protect food production in Wales is inspiring. She is the future of the industry and a role model for other young female farmers.