A YOUNG farmer from Dousland is heading off on a trip of a lifetime this summer.

Nicola Blowey, a third year BSc agriculture student at Harper Adams University, is heading off to Canada after she was awarded a prestigious place on the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs' Discovery Trip.

The trip is a four-week exchange with a member of 4H, a similar organisation to the Young Farmers' Club (YFC), from Manitoba.

Nicola said: 'The trip is an excellent opportunity to learn about agriculture in another country and also to meet other young farmers in another part of the world and hear about their organisations and activities.

'I will be visiting local farms and businesses while my exchange partner herself lives on a 3,000-acre arable farm.'

Nicola has also decided to extend the trip to around nine weeks and include visits to Vancouver, Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto as well as several farms in Ontario to experience the varying cultures and see the various agricultural practices in different provinces.

'I will fly to Vancouver on July 23. Visiting Vancouver will, in particular, allow me to compare the cultures and attitudes towards food and farming on the west coast as opposed to central and eastern Canada.

'The city is renowned for its food and markets and is a great place to visit to assess public attitudes towards food and current trends in this part of the country.

'People have been really generous and I have been able to find three hosts in Ontario and will be staying with a member of JFAO, another but smaller organisation similar to YFC, which will allow me to compare the two Canadian organisations,' she added.

Her second to last stop is one Nicola is most excited about.

'I will be staying with a researcher at the University of Guelph's Ontario Agricultural College.

'She works under Professor Bonnie Mallard in the veterinary school and is involved with the research behind SEMEX's Immunity+ range.

'She is planning a day of on-farm HIR [High Immune Response] testing so that I can see the data collection happening in the industry.

'I will also tour the vet school, meet the team and learn about the research undertaken in the lab.'

Nicola flies home on September 28 ready to tackle the final year of her degree.

She has expressed thanks to Kite Consulting and Hodgsons accountancy firm, Launceston, for their sponsorship and support.