Two ambitious young agriculturists are looking forward to global travel thanks to a scholarship run by Reaseheath College in Nantwich and the Cheshire Agricultural Society.

Graduate trainee Lizzy Andow and Sam Walton, a member of the farm team at Tatton Park, have each been awarded John Platt Travel Scholarships worth £2000 to fund international research which will benefit Cheshire’s farming community.

Lizzy, 23, who lives on her family’s mixed farm in Swettenham near Congleton, works for Meadow Quality Ltd., a national livestock marketing business based near Whitchurch. Her duties include processing trade agreements with major supply chains and she is also working on projects in calf health and production. She has just stepped down as Chair of Congleton Young Farmers Club.

Lizzy plans to use her scholarship to tour the USA’s ‘Beef States’ of Colarado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Texas to investigate beef production methods and consumer preference.

She said: “I was delighted to be awarded the John Platt Travel Scholarship. It will give me the opportunity to travel abroad and learn from specialists in the industry. I think that this research could be very relevant to Cheshire farmers, particularly with Brexit coming up and the potential for wider trade deals.”

Sam, 29, is a former Reaseheath agriculture student who worked as Assistant Dairy Herd Manager for the college dairy herd before moving to his present position. Based at The Farm at Tatton Park, one of Cheshire’s leading tourist attractions, Sam has a key role which includes running the pedigree herd of Red Poll cattle and interacting with some of the 80,000 visitors a year. He is also a presenter on local radio Silk106.9.

Sam plans to visit New Zealand to study agri-tourism and particularly innovative methods used by the country’s farmers to encourage the pubic to visit their farms.

He said: “New Zealand has a similar climate to Britain and I’m keen to look at transferable ideas for attractions and diversified businesses.  I firmly believe that it is our responsibility as farmers to educate the public about how their food is produced and about the wider management of the countryside.

“I would like to thank Reaseheath College and the Cheshire Agricultural Society for giving me the opportunity to further my knowledge and interests.”

Both agriculturists will share their findings with fellow farmers, Young Farmers Clubs and agricultural students on their return.

The John Platt scholarship is in memory of John Platt, a former Chair of Reaseheath Governors and former Chairman, President and Honorary Life Warden of the Cheshire Agricultural Society.

Presenting the awards, Cheshire Agricultural Society Director Keith Thomas said that both recipients had been outstanding candidates and had shown the drive, ambition and desire to seek out new information and technology which would benefit the Cheshire farming community.

Find out more about the John Platt Scholarship here.

Caption: Lizzy Andow and Sam Walton receive their John Platt Travel Scholarships from Keith Thomas and Reaseheath’s Principal Marcus Clinton