Harper Adams University Graduate Receives Farming Life Agricultural Student of the Year 2023 Award
Harper Adams alumnus Stephen Evans has been named the Farming Life Agricultural Student of the Year 2023.
BSc (Hons) Agriculture graduate Stephen, from Fintona, Co. Tyrone, was named the winner of the prize at the Farming Life awards ceremony in Belfast’s Crowne Plaza hotel on Wednesday night.
Despite not hailing from an agricultural background, Stephen was chosen by the judges as the prize winner – mere weeks after celebrating his graduation.
Talking about the awards, Farming Life editor Ruth Rodgers said: “This year, as always, entries across all categories exceeded our expectations in both numbers and the calibre of those involved. It has made judging an incredibly difficult task, but one that was very enjoyable as we read about the history of businesses and their developments and about people and their successes and achievements and indeed challenges.
“As we celebrate our industry here tonight, it must be remembered that we are facing a time of uncertainty and difficulty in the months ahead.
“We are fortunate that we have an industry which has resilience and a ‘can do’ attitude at its core. And I have no doubt that our farmers will adapt and evolve to meet the challenges head on.”
Stephen – who works at ForFarmers as their UK Young Animal Feeds Specialist – is also shortlisted for a separate Agricultural Student of the Year prize at the British Farming Awards, set to be announced in Birmingham later this month.
He was also named as the winner of the Victor Truesdale Prize 2023 at the annual Harper Ireland club dinner.
Speaking when shortlisted for the Farming Life award, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunities which his studies at Harper Adams had afforded him, adding: “From a young age, my passion for this industry has been my driving force.
“Coming from a non-farming background, I saw it as a challenge to overcome, and I did just that.
“My dedication lies in making the industry a more sustainable and attractive place for people of similar ages and backgrounds to me.”
Stephen’s latest win was hailed by Dr Russell Readman, Course Manager for Agriculture at Harper Adams, who said: ““It is excellent to see Stephen take the award of Farming Life Agriculture Student of the Year.
“Stephen does not come from a home farm and has worked hard to gain practical experience to underpin his degree studies and to gain a foothold in the industry.
“A well-deserved winner and an example of the can-do attitude of Harper Adams students and the type of individual our industry needs to address the challenges going forward.”