OMSCo OFFERS £5,000 EDUCATIONAL BURSARY FOR THIRD YEAR RUNNING

23 June 2008

OMSCo, the Organic Milk Suppliers’ Cooperative, has announced that it will be offering young organic dairy farmers the chance to secure an educational bursary for the third year running. The bursary, established to support those looking to gain further education qualifications in the agricultural sector, is available to OMSCo members, their immediate families, and employees on OMSCo farms. OMSCo is offering up to £5,000 per year.

Rosie Palmer, Marketing Manager for OMSCo, commented, “The OMSCo bursary scheme has been a very popular initiative for the past two years. To date it has enabled us to support eight young farmers in their agricultural studies which will help to further their careers in organic farming. We hope that this year’s bursary scheme will again provide an incentive for young people to follow a career in organic agriculture. We have already had a number of enquiries from people interested in applying for this year’s bursary which is great news. ”

Last year’s successful applicants were Simon Best, William Hemmings, Matthew Pilkington and George Steer. The financial support they received enabled them to follow a variety of courses from Foundation to BSC degrees in agriculture.
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Rosie continues, “We value our members and recognise that, with the current state of the British dairy market, the incentive to enter the industry is minimal. We are aware it is vital to attract new, younger entrants into organic dairy farming if we are to secure a sustainable future for the sector. The bursary is an important step in OMSCo’s continuing investment in the long-term future of the British organic dairy industry.”

Those wishing to apply for the OMSCo bursary need to contact OMSCo on 01934 511115 to obtain an application form. Alternatively it can be downloaded via the website www.omsco.co.uk. The closing date for applications is Monday 1 September 2008. There will be no limit to the number of bursaries awarded within the £5,000 limit. Cases will be judged on an individual basis, although priority will be given to those hoping to study for a practical agricultural qualification.

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For more information, or to arrange an interview with an OMSCo spokesperson please call Grayling Global:
Emily Taylor - 020 7255 1100
Camille Daltrey/Edith Barton-Harvey - 01179 227799.