I attended the Nuffield Scholarship Luncheon on Friday 16th February for the first time. I represented Planfarm as a major sponsor of the event. What a fascinating and rewarding network.

Not being from a farming background but having parents who grew up in the Mallee Victoria, I have always had an affinity for the “bush” visiting the Mallee many times as a child looking forward to visiting the “country cousins”.

Listening to the passionate farmers in the room and getting an explanation of what Nuffield does and how the network works, I was thinking if I was a farmer, I would be asking the question why wouldn’t I have a crack at getting involved?

Firstly, at the event (numbering somewhere around 70 to 80 attending) the room was full of a collection of past Scholars and their partners, a room full of proactive passionate people with inquisitive minds looking after the welfare of Agriculture in WA. What a network to have access to, being able to tap into that resource with so many willing to share stories and information with each other and the industry.

When the scholars receive their scholarship how do they start networking overseas to start investigating their topic and visiting areas for direct feedback on their area of study? Of course, the international network of Nuffield scholars is at their beck and call to contact and will help them network across the world with like minds.

What an opportunity, why would you not try and access this network and philosophy.

Throughout the event we heard from the two 2023-year WA recipients, and one 2021-year recipient. What a fascinating journey they have been on.

• Daniel Dempster from Goomalling. Supported by Grains Research and Development Corporation, Daniel explored the economic implications of adopting the agricultural farming practices focused on total soil cover, minimal soil disturbance, high plant species diversity and livestock incorporation.
• Rebecca Kelly from Mingenew. Supported by CBH Group, Rebecca explored ways to help farmers in negotiations with energy companies, for example if they want to explore or extract resources from their land.
• Kathryn Fleay from Mingenew, supported by CSBP Fertilisers, explored how educating consumers and promoting career options in agriculture is fundamental to the growth and sustainability of Australia’s agricultural sectors.

Each scholar receives a $35,000 bursary to invest in travel and research. They will visit, learn from, and collaborate with some of the world’s leading agricultural businesses and research institutions.

For more than 70 years Nuffield Scholars have travelled the world, bringing home the latest intelligence, farming practices and developments to share with their peers. Their scholarship is an investment in themselves and their capacity to lead their business, their community, and their industry by widening their knowledge and networks.

The research is driven by farmers, in collaboration with their respective industries – a proven recipe for success, which helps scholars learn and their industries prosper.

Twenty-five scholars from Australia will travel the world in the next 12 months, studying topics as diverse as drought resilience, climate change, drones, genetics, machine harvesting and agricultural policy.

Scholars hail from across the agricultural landscape, with backgrounds in livestock production, cropping, horticulture, fishing and management, among others.

The three WA scholars for 2024 are as follows, and gave us an insight into what they will be studying for this year.

• Shannen Barrett from York. Supported by the Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA) and the Processed Oat Partnership, Shannen will study development opportunities for Australian oats.
• Laura Bennett from Scaddan. Supported by CSBP Fertilisers, Laura will study the risks and opportunities to continuous cropping systems that come with a changing climate.
• Ashley Wiese from Highbury, near Narrogin. Supported by CBH Group, Ashley will research models for how export-dominated farming regions can move from being price takers to price makers.

Applications for 2025 scholarships will open March 2024. So why not consider stepping back from your business, explore the world, develop business friendships, and find new innovations for your future?

Visit the link https://www.nuffield.com.au/how-to-apply to apply for 2025.

Available to Australian citizens or permanent residents only.