18 May 2020

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) is part of a new National Centre which aims to support enterprise, resilience and innovation among rural firms and unlock the untapped potential of rural economies across the UK.

The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE), announced today (Monday 18 May), is a project consortium led by Newcastle University and including the RAU, the University of Gloucestershire, and the University of Warwick, working closely with business, policy makers and enterprise agencies.

06 May 2020

This year’s winner of the Royal Agricultural University’s (RAU) longstanding enterprise competition, first year student Luke Esson hopes to take his business idea, where crops are grown ‘off-land’, to the next level.

The RAU’s Grand Idea competition is now in its 13th year, but for the first time in its history, the Dragon’s Den-style event was held ‘virtually’, (on 1 May) with the students pitching their business ideas to a panel of expert judges over Zoom in a bid to secure £2,500 of investment. 

21 Apr 2020

A newly-released YouGov survey has highlighted a number of social and environmental changes that people in the UK are seeing as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.

The survey was commissioned by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), together with food charity The Food Foundation.

17 Apr 2020

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has joined the Feeding the 5,000 project to help provide homecooked, healthy meals to those in need during the Coronavirus crisis.

The RAU campus is currently only open to students in residence, mainly international students, and essential workers. In line with PHE advice, and in common with most UK universities, face-to-face teaching has been suspended, with teaching and assessments being delivered online after the Easter break.

15 Apr 2020

Henry Fell died peacefully at home in Thorganby, North Yorkshire on 9 April 2020 at the age of 90. He was born in 1929, the son of an engineer, albeit from a rural background in Yorkshire.

His father served with distinction in the First World War and then spent most of the rest of his life with Rolls Royce, living on the edge of Derby when war broke out again. With no family holidays for five years, the young Henry started helping out on the neighbouring farm, and from there his love of agriculture developed.

07 Apr 2020

A professor at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) is leading a piece of research to gather evidence of how households, rural communities and small businesses, including farms, are adapting during the Coronavirus crisis.

Professor Tom MacMillan is Elizabeth Creak Chair in Rural Policy & Strategy at the University and also Research Director for the RSA Food, Farming & Countryside Commission (

31 Mar 2020

Harry Farnsworth, a Masters student in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), has been awarded the Astrotracks Get Into Farming Award 2020, to support the completion of his studies and further his research.

Originally from Northamptonshire, Harry grew up in the countryside and his Dad was a land agent. “I’m not from a farming background but I’ve always had agriculture and nature as a backdrop to my life,” he said.

13 Jan 2020

The Lycetts Summer Scholarships are now closed for applications for 2020.

The Lycetts Scholarships are a 10 week research project, giving you the opportunity to build a network of contacts and find out more about the world of rural insurance, as well as giving the chance to develop commercial research and presentations skills.

These scholarships are exclusive to the RAU and there are two available at £1,250 each. To apply, you must be a current second year student on any course. 

12 Mar 2020

The RAU is sponsoring two school farm awards in the Social Farms & Gardens’ 40th Anniversary Awards.

Social Farms & Gardens is a leading UK wide charity, which supports communities to farm, garden and grow together.

06 Mar 2020

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) will both reflect on the past and look to the future as it celebrates its 175th anniversary, with a series of lectures and debates on the challenges and opportunities of farming, food production and land management.

The inaugural event in the lecture series took place this week with a lecture delivered by Richard Williamson, Managing Director of Beeswax Dyson Farming.