Studying agriculture gave me ideas for diversification of family farm business

21st October 2022 – Tags: Agriculture

FE Award winner Molly-Anne Gimson is seizing the opportunity to apply all she has learnt through an Extended Diploma in Agriculture, bringing innovations to her family’s pig farming business and carving out a niche for herself within the industry. 
 
Molly’s confident, ambitious, and proactive approach to life after college will come as no surprise to her lecturers at Easton College, who describe her as ‘an exceptional student’ who was ‘consistently tenacious in her pursuit of high grades.’  
 
Molly’s 'fierce dedication to her work’ led to her achieving outstanding grades of Distinction *, Distinction, Distinction.  
 
She was also highly commended by the Worshipful Company of Farmers, who awarded Molly their Student of the Year prize in recognition of her dedication to her studies. 

Molly-Anne Gimson receiving her Further Education award certificate from Chris Sturdy, Head of Animal and Equine, Easton College (Pic - David Kirkham)

With 'exemplary organisational skills’, Molly displayed ‘an attention to detail that surpassed expectations of a level 3 student, most notably with her agricultural diversification business plan.’ 
 
It is this diversification plan that Molly is now hard at work implementing on her family’s farm. 

I have been lucky enough to have been brought up on a farm’, says Molly. ‘We have outdoor breeding pigs. So there were a lot of things I knew about farming, but also lots of things I have learnt since coming to Easton. It was really interesting to learn about the different types of farming in more detail. 

I am still working on the family farm with the pigs. I am looking to expand that. I’ve got ideas of diversification which I am working on at the moment. We have started some bits, which is exciting. Hopefully I will be able to create my own path, but still in the pig industry." 

Molly-Anne Gimson was an award winner at our 2022 Further Education Awards. She was named Student of the Year for Land-Based Industries and she was also presented with The Governors’ Award for Outstanding Student Achievement.