Zoe Fletcher

Zoe studied BSc (Hons) Agriculture and her next step will be to top up her degree at Hartpury University to a full Honours degree.

"Coming from Guernsey in the Channel Islands where we do not have a university, I knew I had to look at coming to the UK to study for a degree. I visited several universities running agricultural and land-based degrees but found the facilities and opportunities at Hartpury to be the best suited to me. Albeit being small, it creates a really personal feel and makes approaching both teaching and non-teaching staff much easier.

All of our lecturers have worked in industry and have a wealth of knowledge, experience and practical examples to share with us. It’s great to be in the classroom one minute and then in overalls and boots the next; down on the farm having the current lecture demonstrated to us in a practical sense.

Being a girl studying farming is great! The lecturers engage well with us and the boys normally cut us some slack after seeing how well we handle the bull calves! Female farmer numbers are on the rise – I think more people are relocating from the city to the countryside for a quieter, more peaceful way of life and farming is less considered as ‘a man’s job’ now. It’s true that farming is a 365 days of the year job but that means you have to be passionate about what you do and when you love what you do, it never feels like you’re going to work!"

After graduating, I hope to return to Guernsey and find a job within the dairy or sheep industry. I’ve also set up a group that travels to Sri Lanka to improve the living conditions of children staying in orphanages, cancer hospitals and homes for the disabled, while also helping the homeless and those living in extreme poverty. This group also offer free treatments and neutering to people with pets."

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