An agriculture student from Lymm, who may have struggled to get into the sector as she is not from an agricultural background, has had a helping hand from none other than The Cotswolds’ most famous farmer Kaleb Cooper (as seen on Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm)
Rose Geggie has been chosen as one of two recipients of the 2024/2025 Kaleb Cooper Agriculture Bursary for students at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) where she is in her first year studying for a BSc in Agriculture.
Rose recently met the man himself when Kaleb visited the RAU’s Cirencester campus to congratulate her – and the other winner fellow RAU first year student Rupert Jones from Bournemouth – on their success.
And, while he was in town, Kaleb joined Rose and Rupert, and fellow RAU students, to take part in a charity Tractor Pull for the University’s Students’ Union’s annual charity fundraising RAG (Raising and Giving) Week.
Kaleb said: “Today has been brilliant! It’s the second year of my agricultural bursary with the RAU and I’m so proud that once again we’ve been able to award it to two very deserving young people – that’s double what we were aiming for when we started out.
“I am so passionate about supporting the new generation through into the best industry in the world. Especially as I know, from my own experience, that it’s not an obvious or easy route for someone who doesn’t come from a farming family.”
The RAU Kaleb Cooper Agriculture Bursary, which was launched in 2023, currently offers two bursaries annually – one funded by Kaleb himself and one funded by the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust which has an existing relationship with the RAU – which are open to all the University’s undergraduate agriculture students.
The bursary provides Rose and Rupert each with a £3,000 payment as well as the opportunity to apply for a work placement with either Kaleb himself or one of his industry partners.
Rose, 20, joined the RAU last September to study for a BSc in Agriculture.
She said: “When I applied for the bursary, I didn’t dare dream that I would be chosen but, with the chance to meet Kaleb and potentially get some work experience with him, I felt it was definitely worth a shot.
“I come from a non-farming background and, when I got my place at the RAU, my mum had just been through treatment for cancer but she has always been a huge support for my agricultural dream and she insisted I go to university and take all the opportunities that came.
“I was in Tesco buying some potatoes when I got the call letting me know that I had been awarded the bursary and I was ecstatic! I just burst out in hysterics – one of the other customers came over to check that I was ok!
“This is an enormous opportunity which will shape my career for many years to come. I don’t yet know which direction my career is headed – maybe I will manage a farm, or perhaps even be lucky enough to run my own farm one day, – but, whatever happens, if I’m a farmer, I’ll be the happiest person in the world.”
Self-made agricultural entrepreneur and farm contractor Kaleb, has been working in and around farms since he was a schoolboy and is a passionate supporter of UK agriculture and opportunities for young people to enter the sector.
He said: “Agriculture can offer such a varied and rewarding career and today’s another chance to spread the word about it. If you’re hard-working, curious and want to learn skills for life, I can’t encourage you enough to look into agricultural studies and take that first step.”
Professor Peter McCaffery, Vice-Chancellor at the RAU, said: “We are delighted that Kaleb has renewed his support this year for RAU students through this bursary.
“Kaleb is a passionate advocate of farming, as we have seen in Clarkson’s Farm, and he has significantly raised public awareness of farming and agriculture at a very challenging time for the sector.
“Our bursary winners are new entrants to farming and it’s fantastic that this support will help them to realise their career dreams and aspirations and follow in Kaleb’s path. We are very grateful and excited to be working with him.”
