Meg Lawrence

Despite not being from a farming background, Meg’s passion for agriculture was ignited throughout her childhood. Lambing sheds and dairy farms were in close proximity to her family home, where she was able to learn about different elements of the industry, before she arrived at Hartpury College as a student and quickly became involved with the commercial farm on campus.

From there, with the help of several key influencers at Hartpury and further afield, Meg has worked across the industry to cultivate an extensive knowledgebase. She’s spent time on farms and in businesses across the UK and as far afield as New Zealand to develop her expertise, and in her current role as Livestock Manager – Veterinary Technician at Hartpury, is helping to inspire the next generation of leaders in agriculture.

“Janatha Stout was the Head of Agriculture at Hartpury when I was a student. I owe her quite a lot, as part of a list of people that have helped shape my career. She told me that agriculture can open up so many doors, and not to be blinkered to one pathway.

Everybody, including my family, had told me I’d be a good teacher. looking at Janatha, and other female lecturers that were here at the time, I thought that I could do it and that it would offer the best of both worlds.

Whatever the farm requires of me comes under my job title! My day-to-day role involves calf rearing, time of year dependant, managing our flock of 200 highlander ewes, teaching level 3 Agri students and overseeing their on-farm duties. I get a lot of satisfaction out of teaching. I'm so lucky that all my lectures are practically based, I'm always out on the farm and I think it’s where students perform best. They want to be outside doing something practical, which we always encourage of them.

The farm management team here at Hartpury have all previously been employed on farms, in various settings, with strong industry links. Having done that, we know what employers expect from somebody, and that’s enabling us to shape our students to be employable. Being an industry link ourselves, as a working and forward-thinking farm, means the students are in good hands.

I don’t know if being a woman in the industry was anything I thought too deeply about early in my career. Looking back, my manager during my placement year is also somebody who has shaped the work ethic in me; I have a lot of respect for her. I’ve had other managers throughout my career who have taught me that farming is a way of life, to live and breathe it.

Trevor Hicks has been a huge advocate for women. Having a male subject leader or male head of department, it would be quite easy to let the idea of encouraging women into agriculture fall to the side, and not worry about it. Trevor has always been a huge supporter, and I think that's great. There are loads of female students on our courses, which speaks for itself.

I don't believe that, either within the agriculture industry or life in general, that it is about not needing men. There are several men in my life whom I have needed both to help and support me to learn and grow, as well as men who have made me question my place in the industry- I've needed them too. To help me remind myself of my worth and that I deserve to be here as much as them. It's about levelling up, and recognition of what can also be achieved by a woman, particularly in what has previously been perceived as a male-dominated industry.

My advice to anybody looking to forge a career in agriculture would be to ask questions and absorb as much information as possible, to not be afraid to change your mind, and above all have a strong will to work. I think I think the reason I have been able to do the things that I have done and go to the places that I have been to, in and out of the industry, is because I knew I had to work for it. I've taken a lot from every single person that I've worked for and with, and I'm able to effectively be a manager within the industry as a result.”

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