Director’s Report

DIRECTOR’S JOTTINGS FOR 2021

MIKE VACHER

“LOOKING BACK … LOOKING FORWARDS … SUCCESSION PLANNING” - 75 YEARS AND COUNTING!

I begin by wholeheartedly echoing our Chairman’s report. Chris’s report has captured so many aspects of Nuffield Farming so well. I would encourage you to digest it thoroughly. My own jottings may not be so eloquent, but, I hope they will be Appreciative, Reflective, Proud of others efforts, Encouraging – as well as Summarising our Achievements, Forward thinking and Realistic. I hope they don’t produce grammatical indigestion!

Nuffield Farming is on a roll and long may it continue to be so! Four Year Groups of Scholars are now engaged in their scholarship programme – some eighty scholars at the time of writing and there will be at least the same number at this time next year. Normally the ‘steady state would be half this amount. A vibrant, imaginative and innovative Trustee Board serves a passionate, active and voluble Alumni. We are fortunate to have a steadily increasing number of generous and committed Sponsors, along with an equally committed experienced and knowledgeable Office Team providing essential guidance, coordination and administration – AND WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR 75th ANNIVERSARY!

Just ten years ago I attended my first Nuffield Farming Conference at Stratford-upon-Avon at a hotel which our annual gatherings have long outgrown. We have nearly quadrupled our ‘Net Assets’ and are getting on for quintupling our investment holdings from £¾ million to £3.4 million. More importantly, we have awarded over 200 Nuffield Farming Scholarships in the same period and past the ‘1000th Scholarship’ marker. We have given our Scholars an increasingly sophisticated experience, over and above most other comparable scholarships. Who else provides such support to applicants, such thorough briefings, possible accreditation, introduction to a global network at a top quality international conference attended by nationally recognised experts and officials, not to mention the training, support and editing towards promoting the results of their studies at a large, industry recognised, conference? Along with, above all, life-long membership of the unique Nuffield Family on which to lean for years to come.

Our Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester meets new Scholars at the 2022 Pre-CSC training

So where are we going? In simple terms we will do yet more and do it even better! Our core scholarships will, of course, continue – and we will support as many as meet the quality required. Furthermore, Trustees will always seek to further improve and enhance our Scholars’ experience. Separately, however, Trustees have committed to provide new awards within the Nuffield 100 Strategy. This will give opportunities to

younger farmers to benefit from homestay with Nuffield Scholars in other countries so enabling them to gain from having their ‘eyes opened’ to new opportunities. In addition, tying in with emerging science, new Academic Scholarships will enable more senior PhD/ MSc students studying suitable agricultural topics to broaden their understanding by study travel abroad. Closer to home, greater support will be provided to our twenty plus Country, Regional and Study Groups to help them more easily and efficiently organise their events as well as complying with the essential statutory regulations.

Selection Committee 2022

How will we get there? First and foremost we will get there because of the commitment and enthusiasm of all those, paid and unpaid, who put in the extra time needed to take Nuffield Farming forwards. We could not achieve anything like the success we have had without the efforts of so many individuals. Our Trustees, Selectors, Editors, Accreditors, Sponsors and Supporters, Group Organisers, Event Hosts, as well as every active member of the Alumni. All play their important part. Nevertheless, there are a few who must be singled out for special mention. First are our Chairmen who, especially, put in endless hours of careful thought, planning, meetings and provide the benefit of their considerable experience. However, the most special mention has to be made to the stalwarts of our Nuffield Farming Office Team: Claire, Charlotte, Lindsay and Poey who have clocked up many years’ of commitment to the Trust. THEY make things happen and it is so easy to take them for granted…

Two years ago, I began to ponder over what has been achieved, what we want to do in the future and how best to recommend to Trustees how to enable it all to happen. Sadly, I cannot hope to go on forever! It is right to make plans for a smooth succession. However, I also realised that, just like so many family farming businesses, the risks associated with a completely clean break should not be underestimated. Having consulted others, what seemed best was to make plans that enable a gradual evolution to a new team by retaining the knowledge and experience of the current Office Team, as we welcome on board new members. To that end, I have volunteered to continue in a lesser, supportive capacity working to a new Director. I do hope that the benefits of this approach will be recognised and the pitfalls of a more traditional route not underestimated. Nuffield Farming demands much more than other organisations – too much has been achieved, and too much is beckoning for the future to get this wrong…

Mike Vacher

I was honoured to receive the ARAgS award along with Left to Right: myself, Jake Freestone (2013 NSch) , Dr Belinda Clarke (2001 NSch), David Walston, (2014 NSch) Nigel Pulling (Past External Trustee), Nick Green (2002 NSch), Martin Thatcher (2005 NSch), Richard Cooksley (Past External Trustee).