Duchy’s Cornish Mutual Agricultural Students of 2023

The Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries are part of the Future Farming Programme, which supports the future of agriculture in the region. Now in their third year, the Cornish Mutual bursaries were expanded in 2023 to include both further and higher education students, as well as introducing the overall student of the year award.

Agriculture university student, Isabella Rhodes (above pic), who studies at Duchy College Stoke Climsland, part of The Cornwall College Group (TCCG), won the first Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Higher Education bursary and received a £750.

Isabella is an active Young Farmer and currently chairs the Cornwall Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Agriculture group. Having already completed a placement with a genetics company, Isabella is keen to pursue a career in bovine genetics.

In her application, Isabella said: “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.”

Also studying at Stoke Climsland is Henry Matthews, a Level 2 Land-based engineering student, who has received a £500 Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Further Education Bursary.

Henry (below pic) grew up on his family’s beef and sheep farm where he has a herd of pedigree Texel sheep. An active Young Farmer, Henry was recently elected Junior Vice Chairman of his local Young Farmer Club.

He was delighted to have won a bursary: “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 two Duchy students impressed the judges with their enthusiasm for agriculture and determination to build careers in the farming sector.

“We were once again delighted to receive a number of high quality applications for our bursaries,” said Peter Beaumont, Cornish Mutual Managing Director. “We were struck by Henry’s drive to apply the knowledge gained on his course to support both his home farm and other local farming businesses.

“Isabella stood out for her positive outlook on change and willingness to embrace challenges. Despite not coming from a farming background, she has worked hard to expand her knowledge and experience in order to build a career in the industry.”

To find out more about the annual bursary scheme with Cornish Mutual , visit: https://www.cornishmutual.co.uk/cmfuturefarming/young-farmer-bursaries/