My year as an ADAS placement student

Harper Adams University student Asia Law recently finished her 12-month placement with ADAS as part of the Agriculture and Land Management team

Asia shares below a brief insight about what she got up to and what she gained through her placement with ADAS.

“This year has been an incredible opportunity to deepen my knowledge and gain hands-on experience in practical, on-farm advising. From my very first visit in North Yorkshire conducting full farm soil sampling, to my final on-farm visit helping deliver a bespoke natural flood management visit in Suffolk.

Over the course of the year, I’ve had the privilege of visiting 205 farms and attending events across the UK, from the top of North Yorkshire to the coasts of Dover and Dorset, from the Welsh England border to south Suffolk and everywhere in between. These visits have included a wide range of experiences: crop trials, infrastructure appraisals, soil and nutrient management planning, water management visits, agri-environment scheme applications, and more.

A massive thank you to everyone at ADAS I’ve had the pleasure of working with. A special thank you to John Gadsby and Zoe Morgan, whose guidance has helped grow my confidence, from nervously booking my first farm visit over the phone to confidently advising on site.

I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and for the opportunity and support ADAS has given me to help me find the path I want to pursue my career as an agricultural and environmental consultant.”

Asia returns to Harper Adams University to complete her final year of studies in BSc (Hons) Environmental Land Management with her honour research project focusing on ‘Assessing the barriers to uptake of agricultural support schemes for cattle farmers in Derbyshire and Staffordshire’.

Best of luck with the rest of your studies Asia!