Lucy Hinch

Harper Adams University

GROWING up on her family’s farm in Rutland, farming runs in Lucy’s blood. With her passion for the poultry industry being sparked at a young age, Lucy embarked on a BSc in agriculture at Harper Adams University, where she is currently in her fourth year. Hard work, combined with an appetite to widen her knowledge of the industry, has meant Lucy was the first student in their second year of university to be awarded the coveted British Poultry Council (BPC) scholarship, with a placement year at Moy Park.

Based in the hatchery and the feed mill, she was able to explore the broiler industry in more detail and promote the industry to young people and new entrants to help widen participation. Aiming to immerse herself in all things poultry, Lucy has attended several events, including the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference. Most notably, Lucy presented her dissertation research looking into the effects of myo-inositol and phytase, alone and in combination, on broiler chicken meat quality, at the World Poultry Science Association Spring 2022 meeting. In a bid to address some of the challenges facing the poultry sector, Lucy has pushed herself further outside the realm of academia to lobby major supermarkets and MPs for real change.

With rising labour and feed costs squeezing egg prices at the farm gate, Lucy believes there needs to be more of a link between supermarkets and farmers. Her work to raise the profile of the industry and make her voice heard recently encouraged her to apply to the board of the British Free Range Poultry Association, and her commitment to the family farm remains central to this journey. Growing winter wheat and barley, which is used to feed the 226,000 free-range laying hens and 80,000 pullets they rear, Lucy intends to run and grow the family farm after she graduates university, with an ambition to start taking their home produced eggs to market.

At a glance

  • Farming background
  • Grew up on family farm in Rutland
  • Awarded British Poultry Council scholarship
  • Invited to present dissertation research at World Poultry Science Association.