Agricultural engineering graduates enjoy American harvest adventure
Published: Tuesday 9 September 2025The dream of a lifetime for many agricultural students is to join a crew for the 2,000-mile Great American Harvest.
That dream became a reality for two recent Myerscough degree graduates this summer, as they headed to the States to take part in the mammoth task.
The Great Harvest, or 2,000-mile Harvest refers to the annual journey of American custom wheat harvesting crews and their machines, moving up to 2,000 miles from the wheat fields of Texas to the Canadian border to follow the ripening grain.
Marley Rees-Boydell and Oliver Vance, who are both 21, are friends since school, and together completed firstly a Level 3 diploma in Agricultural Engineering and then a FdSc foundation degree in Agricultural Machinery Engineering through Myerscough College and University Centre.
After being told of the opportunity to travel to the USA to take part in the harvest, both students jumped at the chance.
Marley and Oliver were given places on the Ohio International Intern Program (TOP), an international exchange initiative that promotes global opportunities for international students and young farmers to obtain practical on-the-job training in the U.S.
Marley said: ‘’We have always wanted to do something unique together and one day our tutor Adam Eckersley presented us with the programme and we fell in love with it.
‘’In all honestly without Adam we wouldn't be out here and will always be truly grateful.''
‘’We started our harvest season off in April preparing equipment at Frederick Harvesting HQ in Alden, Kansas, preparing combines and checking over trucks ready for the season.
‘’The harvest officially began in May where we started cutting in Altus, Oklahoma, and we have since cut wheat and barley in numerous states.’’
From Oklahoma, the pair travelled north west to the state of Colorado, before moving north into Wyoming and then north into Nebraska, and have now travelled up to North Dakota.
Marley adds: ‘’We have enjoyed every minute of this experience and have seen well know sites such as Colorado Springs, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and are prepared to see much more before the end of our trip.
‘’I really hope more young people from our country will take up the experience of harvest in America in future years, as it has been life changing for us.’’
Places for 2026 entry for school leavers on agricultural engineering programmes at Myerscough College are available now.