FW Awards: Meet the 2025 Ag Student of the Year finalists

Three finalists from non-farming backgrounds blew the judging panel away with their passion, tenacity and optimism for the agricultural sector.

The judges

• Ally Hunter-Blair Ally farms 200ha of arable land in Herefordshire with tourism and equestrian diversifications.
• Logan Williams FW’s 2024 Ag Student of the Year, Logan runs the family sheep farm in Carmarthenshire and operates a livestock agent business.
• Hayley Chapman Former FW deputy Livestock editor Hayley juggles working as a freelance journalist with farming in Buckinghamshire.

The finalists

• Matt Butterfield, Wimborne, Dorset
• George Elliott, Boylestone, Derbyshire
• Merryn Philp, Launceston, Cornwall 

See also: FW Awards 2025: Meet the finalists

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Matt Butterfield, Wimborne, Dorset

A s well as his degree in Agriculture, Matt Butterfield will be taking bucketloads of enthusiasm to his future role as an assistant farm manager on a Shropshire dairy farm.

This will be Matt’s first full-time role, and the first step in achieving his dream of running his own dairy farm.

With a rural background, but not a farming one, Matt has found mentors in the industry who have been able to steer him through the four years at university and placement as well as advise on career options.

Without the 10 weeks’ experience usually required to study Agriculture at Harper Adams, Matt completed the Access to Agriculture Programme alongside his first year of studies.

Academia

During his first and second years, he also worked on a number of different dairy farms – including the University Farm – to gain experience across a range of different systems.

Through those two years, he was commended by the course assessment board for strong academic performance.

As well as good results, he demonstrated “excellent employability” during his placement at a large organic dairy farm and a mark of 90% from his placement tutor.

He says it was there that he very quickly saw how high-quality stockmanship and attention to detail are the foundations of a profitable dairy business.

He then focused his dissertation on the effect of natural methods, such as coriander oil supplementation, of methane mitigation in high- yielding herds – a timely topic in the sector.

Extra curricular

Matt has given back to university life throughout his time at Harper.

He became a course representative in the second year and took on the role again in his fourth – a year when most students would not consider picking up this responsibility due to time pressure, according to course manager Dr Russell Readman.

“I like talking to people,” Matt says. “I want to gauge opinions on a course that has given me so much.”

Matt also contributed to the course newsletter, writing about the challenges facing new entrants and how these can be overcome.

Outside of uni, he enjoys sports such as rugby and boxing and is a self-confessed “sucker for steam trains”.

Matt also takes part in the church worship band as well as playing violin in an orchestra.

Something Matt is excited about is encouraging young people into agriculture as a career option.

“I intend to employ placements students [in the future] to ensure that knowledge never stagnates but is always being passed down to the farmers of the future,” says Matt.

Where next?

Russell describes Matt as diligent, conscientious and a good communicator.

He says he “always has a positive impact on any team dynamic” and he has no doubt that Matt will achieve his goal to have a profit share in a dairy farming business by the age of 25.

That is the first step in his bigger ambitions, as looking further ahead, Matt intends to be farming in his own right on a tenanted unit in 10 years’ time.

A presentation of his plans to develop his own dairy farming business saw him recognised with the Duchy of Lancaster benevolent scholarship in second year. 

And his passion for dairy helped him clinch the 2025 Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ Dairy Student of the Year Award in February, following an essay competition and interview process.

“My proudest moment at Harper was my first presentation to the younger students.

“This was a pitch for a new placement student alongside my employer, and was my first attempt at recruitment,” he said.

The judges liked

• In-depth technical expertise of the UK dairy sector
• Successfully pursued a career in agriculture despite not having a farming background
• Actively cultivated professional connections and tailored mentorship to enhance his experience
• Maintains a clear, well-structured career progression plan with attainable objectives

What the judges say

Matt has had to work harder than many to gain the practical experience and solid understanding of agriculture he now has, excelling throughout his university years academically and on placement.

Student notes

• Studying at Harper Adams University
• Course BSc Agriculture
• Study year Fourth
• Fun fact Matt used to be a keen rower and the highlight was always throwing the cox in the lake at the end of the race

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George Elliott, Boylestone, Derbyshire

With a 2:1 degree in Agriculture and Mechanisation under his belt, George Elliott is leaving Harper Adams after four years ready to embark on a career in precision farming.

Without a farming background, George’s journey has required unwavering dedication and commitment to gaining work experience.

Undeterred by his first role, while still at school, picking litter from fields spread with compost, he now has an impressive CV.

Earlier this month, he started working at JCB as an agricultural sales engineer, following a successful placement year with the manufacturer which he describes as “transformative”.

“The rewarding experience of working with cutting-edge technology and understanding the business side of agricultural machinery reinforced my passion for innovations in this field,” he says.

Academia

George didn’t head straight from school to university – instead he got a few years’ work experience in land agency and auctioneering, as well as the fresh produce sector.

The latter introduced him to precision farming, and when faced with the crossroads of taking on a trainee farm manager role or heading to Harper, he decided to broaden his learnings at university.

The first term was the toughest, adjusting to education again after the world of work, but he found his feet in the second term and has no regrets.

George has enjoyed it increasingly ever since with results reflecting his enthusiasm and an increase in the self-confidence he lacked as a shy school pupil.

Modules such as Crop Protection and Technology fuelled his curiosity about precision machinery and in his final year, he focused on topics which he hopes will help his career, such as Hydraulic and Electric Power and Science Technology and Information.

“Learning about AI’s [artificial intelligence’s] potential to optimise farming processes, improve decision making and enhance productivity has motivated me to explore these cutting-edge technologies,” he says.

His final year research project looked at the future uses of agricultural machinery telematics in UK agriculture.

Extra curricular

A keen pianist, George has accompanied the university choir at Harper Adams events and organised charity auctions, taking on the role of auctioneer himself.

He has used his musical ability to contribute at local community, church and fundraising events too.

George was a member of Young Farmers before and during university years.

“This experience was instrumental in shaping my understanding of the agricultural industry and fostering a network of like-minded individuals passionate about farming,” says George.

He has also dedicated a lot of time to buying and selling vintage tractors and machinery.

Not only has this aided his mechanical knowledge through restoring tractors himself, but it has also given him a good understanding of running a business.

Where next?

George wants to achieve a leadership position in precision farming, focused on the sustainability of farming operations.

He has no desire to stop learning either, with plans to undertake a masters looking at how machinery data and AI can generate decision-making insights and ambitions to do a Nuffield scholarship looking at the future of agricultural machinery.

So passionate is he about the possibilities technology and data hold, that if George was Defra secretary for a day his first implementation would be funding to upskill farmers in this area and attract individuals from outside agriculture who already have expertise in the field.

The judges liked

• Comprehensive and detailed knowledge of technological advancements in the agricultural sector
• A strategic vision for the future coupled with entrepreneurial skills
• Extensive understanding of the key factors influencing British agriculture
• Successfully secured a full-time position with a leading global machinery manufacturer

What the judges say

George started university later, after a few years’ work experience, which has seen him thrive while studying the topics he is really interested in.

He’s well placed to pursue ambitious future plans in precision ag.

Student notes

• Studying at Harper Adams University
• Course BSc Agriculture with Mechanisation
• Study year Fourth
• Fun fact George is a wedding pianist, church organist and charity auctioneer

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Merryn Philp, Launceston, Cornwall

Being gifted two Kunekune weaners for her fifth birthday was the start of a lifelong love of livestock for Merryn.

Following her A-levels, she decided to leave her family’s smallholding in Cornwall to study Agriculture with Animal Science at Harper Adams.

After four years, including a placement with the British Limousin Cattle Society, she has graduated with a 2:1 degree and a wealth of experience and contacts.

“Merryn’s ability to apply scientific knowledge to the real-world, combined with a proactive and compassionate leadership style, has made a lasting impact on Harper Adams, wider industry bodies, and farming families across the UK,” says tutor Dr James McCaughern.

Academia

Merryn’s passion lies in livestock health, nutrition and genetics.

Core modules she has studied include Advances in Animal Production Systems, Animal Improvement and Bioethics and Sustainable Animal Production Systems.

She believes sustainability is important in light of changes in policies and regulation and chose to base her dissertation on how a breeding plan can impact cattle emissions.

Her findings were significant, showing that the use of a breeding plan on a beef herd greatly reduced emissions as well as increasing profitability.

Merryn believes genetics’ role in sustainability is an area that needs investment and her higher research project received a 2025 Morrisons Sustainability Prize.

Not only has she worked hard to achieve academically and build a strong contacts book, but she has also actively sought bursaries and scholarships to enable more experiences and travel.

A solo trip to Canada in her second year was one of her “biggest achievements”, assisting on a beef farm during calving season in temperatures well below freezing and waist-high snow.

Extra curricular

Alongside studying and relief milking, Merryn has kept up with all her other responsibilities and hobbies. 

These include committee roles at Young Farmers and representative positions with the Junior Pig Club and British Saddleback Breeders’ Club.

She underwent pig judging training last year and can now judge in the ring, as well as take part in showing.

And since her placement, Merryn has continued to do calf and herd inspections for the Limousin Society.

Saddlebacks are the pigs Merryn now keeps at home. Her flourishing enterprise sees her managing a permanent waiting list for weaners from the herd, and boxed pork.

When the butcher Merryn used for the direct sales business told her he was quitting, Merryn and her mum decided to learn the skill, buy his equipment and do all their own butchery.

Where next?

Merryn says she hasn’t always found her journey into agriculture easy.

Initially, this was because she wasn’t from a farm so getting work experience was challenging.

Throughout, she has met some people who doubted her capabilities as a female new entrant, but she has remained undeterred.

“I have always found the best way to cope with this is through just proving them wrong,” she says. “Like they say, actions speak louder than words.”

Encouraging young people into the agricultural sector is something Merryn feels strongly about, wishing that funding and education for young people to learn about or get into ag was better.

Her next travels will be to Australia to work as an embryo transfer assistant at a vet centre, and then a station hand with a 6,000-head Wagyu herd.

This is another opportunity Merryn has found through contacts of her own, demonstrating her proactive nature.

After travelling to Australia and New Zealand,  she hopes to secure a role back in the UK red meat sector or a genetics company, and she will continue to work towards a beef herd of her own one day.

The judges liked

• Utilises travel and international opportunities to gain first-hand experience of worldwide farming systems
• Strong interpersonal skills and ambitious plans for the family business
• Commitment to the UK livestock industry, with a particular focus on the cattle and pig sectors
• Establishment of professional connections throughout university studies

What the judges say

Merryn has used her university years to learn, network and maximise all opportunities, ready to start a career in the livestock sector and build her own pork and beef enterprise.

Student notes

• Studying at Harper Adams University
• Course BSc Agriculture with Animal Science
• Study year Fourth
• Fun fact Aged 14, Merryn showed pigs in the US, competing in the young handler championships at the World Pork Expo