Crown Estate Farm

St Briavels, Royal Forest of Dean

John Powell

Farmer

They say that a good apprenticeship can take you a long way – and in Will Powell’s case, it’s taking him right to the other side of the world.

The 20-year-old will be heading to Australia from St Briavels in the Royal Forest of Dean, thanks to a travel scholarship he won during his apprenticeship in crop production at Hartpury College.

Will, whose father John farms 500 acres on the Crown Estate, will spend six months Down Under experiencing a harvest, Australian-style, as the recipient of a Madresfield Travel Scholarship from Gloucestershire Root, Fruit & Grain Society.

“Hartpury College have been very helpful,” says Will. “They helped me get my certificates and apply for the scholarship.

“Going to college once a week has helped me meet new people of my own age in the farming industry. I met a lad who works not far away and it’s good to go to him and share ideas about farming.”

His father is also full of praise for Hartpury College.

With high standards to keep up on the farm, he went to a college open day and liked what he saw so much that he decided to offer Will an apprenticeship.

“We’ve had a good working relationship with the college,” says Mr Powell. “It’s local and supports the local community and the assessors are good to get along with.

“Will does one day a week at college and has started to do some of the cattle movement here and does the majority of the ploughing and spraying.

“I’m very pleased with the interest he’s taking – and the apprenticeship is a definite advantage, because when he knows he has to do something he gets on with it.

“When he goes to college, he’s mixing with other people and can listen to other people’s ideas. We’ve always got to adopt new ideas and different ways of doing things.

“An apprenticeship broadens your horizons – in this case as far as Australia – and we hope he’ll bring different ideas back with him. It’s great.”

Hartpury College