Dow AgroSciences has celebrated the regional winners of a new Foundation Scholarship award, which will help the next generation of farmers take the BASIS Foundation Award in Agronomy.<\b>
In total nine Foundation Scholarships were awarded, with all the winners being under the age of 30 and representing a different UK region under Dow AgroSciences.
This includes budding agronomists Edward Lidgett, Emma Foot and Martin Daw; Edward Lawton-Bradshaw, James Means, Jim McNair and Rhys Jones who all have ambitions to be farm managers; and Barry Wright and William Allan who intend to run their family farms.
All nine regional winners commented on how the Foundation Scholarship will help, and in some cases has already helped, their career development within the farming profession.
Martin Daw, the regional winner for the South East region, says: “The BASIS Foundation course is something that I’ve always wanted to do, and will be a great stepping stone as I progress towards becoming an agronomist.”
Emma Foot, the regional winner for the South West region, says: “The new knowledge I gained from the course has helped me immensely and I feel more confident about making important agronomy decisions on the farm.”
James Means, the regional winner for the North East region, says: “I’m looking forward to putting the knowledge I gained to practical use. In the future, I would like a career in farm management so the BASIS courses are vital for this professional development.”
William Allan, the regional winner for Scotland, says: “The BASIS Foundation award course has helped me make day-to-day decisions on the farm, with the knowledge already furthering my technical understanding and practical skills.”
Edward Lawton-Bradshaw, one of the regional winners for the South Anglia region, says: “The course will be vital in furthering my understanding of important farming issues and will help me progress in my role as a farm manager.”
Edward Lidgett, one of the regional winners for the East Midlands region, says: “The knowledge gained from these courses will be invaluable as I look into my changing role on my current farm and work more alongside our agronomists.”
Barry Wright, the regional winner for the North Anglia region, says: “The award is a great way to further my technical skills and knowledge in farming. This will help me in the day-to-day running of the family farm and also in my future farming career.”
Jim McNair, the other regional winner for the South Anglia region, says: “The Foundation course is excellent at advancing your technical knowledge and giving you a taste for what the full BASIS Certificate course will be like.”
Rhys Jones, the other regional winner for the East Midlands region and youngest winner overall, says: “In the future I would like to go into farm management so I need the BASIS qualifications to ensure I’m fully qualified and ready for the job.”
Dow AgroSciences is delighted that the new Foundation Scholarship is already having such a positive impact and is looking forward to continuing the award for 2016.
Toni McEwan, Managing Director of Dow AgroSciences says: “We are extremely pleased with the positive feedback and comments we’ve received from the ten budding young farmers that were awarded with the scholarship. The Foundation Scholarship is all about helping the farmers of tomorrow and we’re committed to helping them develop their understanding of crop protection and agronomy.”
Rob Simpson, Managing Director for BASIS says: “We are grateful to Dow AgroSciences for supporting this new entry level scholarship, which will help prepare the farmers of tomorrow. We hope that all of the scholarship winners will continue with their professional development through BASIS and the wide range of courses that we offer.”
Anyone under the age of 30 who is interested in developing a career in practical farming and wants to better understand the principles of crop protection is eligible to apply for funding under the Dow AgroSciences Foundation Scholarship, when it reopens for applications. Successful applicants are likely to be those who show a genuine interest in best practice and are willing to act as advocates for the agricultural industry.
