Graduates involved in vital research
For our graduate trainees Jess Hugo and Immie Jones, joining Mole Valley Farmers has been far more than an introduction to the business.
It has given them the opportunity to work directly with farmers and suppliers, while taking ownership of vital studies linked to some of the key technical challenges facing agriculture today.
Immie joined the scheme last year expecting to learn by shadowing experienced colleagues. Instead, she found herself quickly trusted to contribute to high-level research being carried out across the business.
“What I perhaps did not expect was how quickly I would be trusted to contribute to projects with real commercial, environmental and farmer-facing impact,” she said.
One of her first major projects was helping to co-ordinate a forage carbon footprint study with dairy specialist Professor Phil Garnsworthy.
Working directly with farmers, Immie helped gather data on forage production to explore how forage contributes to wider carbon footprint calculations.
With milk processors increasingly asking for more detailed carbon auditing - and in some cases rewarding lower-carbon milk - the study highlighted how important on-farm information will become in shaping future decisions.
She said: “It made me realise just how powerful farmers’ data is and how important it will become. It was exciting to explore an area of the ration that has not received the same level of attention as compound feed.”
Her current project is investigating how to grow more grass in organic systems. The study takes a whole-system view, considering nutrients coming in through feed, slurry analysis, soil structure, chemistry and microbiology.
The hope is to identify the limiting factors before trialling biological inputs next spring, including slurry additives, foliar nutrition and carbon sources for soil microbes.
For Immie, the focus is firmly on practical solutions which fit each farm’s individual system.
Alongside her forage-focused work, she has continued rotating through other areas of the business and is preparing for professional qualifications, including BASIS and FACTS, before joining the forage and agronomy team full time.
She said: “Being trusted with projects of this scale has been daunting at times but the scheme has taught me the more you put into an opportunity, the more you get out of it. “It has also challenged me and given me confidence. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get into agriculture but isn’t quite sure where to start.”
Jess has had a similar experience, using the graduate scheme to lead projects that combine research, technical understanding and communication to different audiences.
For the past few months, she has been studying Vitamin D status in dairy cows. High-performing housed cows can be at greater risk of lower than optimum levels, which can affect muscle function, calcium mobilisation, immune health and milk production.
“Taking ownership of this project has allowed me to develop skills such as managing timelines and communicating technical information to a variety of audiences,” Jess said. “This has helped build my confidence and enhance my professional development.”
Jess said one of the most rewarding parts of the programme was seeing projects generate interest across the business and contribute to wider technical conversations.
“The level of responsibility entrusted to graduates reflects Mole’s commitment to developing future talent and encouraging fresh perspectives,” she said.
For our Farmer Shareholders, the benefit is clear. The graduate scheme is not only developing the next generation of agricultural specialists - it is also supporting practical studies in areas that matter on farm, from forage resilience and soil health to dairy nutrition and carbon efficiency.
And the Newsletter will be outlining the results of those findings over the coming months.
As Immie and Jess’s experiences show, the scheme helps connect fresh thinking with farmer-led priorities, ensuring the next generation understand the realities of agriculture and are ready to support the needs of our members and customers well into the future.
If you would like to know more about our graduate training scheme please email tom.churchward@molevalleyfarmers.com.
