Study tour example from 2023 Scholar Byron Braithwaite’s report “Creating Forests That Thrive in a Changing Climate: Drought and Fire Resilience in the United Kingdom”. Byron will present the findings of his study at the 2024 Nuffield Farming Conference.
Premier Plant Products (PPP) in Hull, UK is a wholesale young plant propagator specialising in salads, brassicas, and tree saplings. Traditionally these plants are produced in pressed peat blocks to enable handling during planting, or transplanting into larger containers. Use of the Ellepot system is transforming this production process for PPP, allowing air pruning to prevent the plant becoming root bound and the reduction of peat in the production process, to a more sustainable growing medium whilst maintaining easy handling of young plants. The use of the Ellepot system also facilitates a move towards significantly more automation in the production process to fill the Ellepot, plant the seed and fill the tray. This automation is crucial at a time when labour is difficult to obtain in the agricultural sector. The Ellepot is used for growing Sitka spruce seedlings indoors in this example, but this method will be used more widely next year in the production of 25 million vegetable plants.
LEADING POSITIVE CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE
The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust is a charity organisation whose aim is to bring positive change to agriculture through the development of its future leaders, sending them overseas to learn from others and helping them share their brilliant ideas when they return home.
Since 1947, we have awarded Scholarships to over 1,000 members of the food, farming, horticulture and rural industries to study a topic they are passionate about.
• Humility: Respect the views and positions of others. Embrace difference.
• Integrity: Inspire participants to make a difference and be true to their word.
• Reciprocity: Commit to giving back to others and continue engagement in the Nuffield network and wider industry.
• Respect: Respect the earth’s resources and inhabitants for future generations.
• Diversity: Embrace human and agricultural diversity.
• Open Mindedness: Be curious, change-able and solution oriented, with a continuous learning mindset.
NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIPS
Each year Nuffield Farming Scholarships are awarded to deserving individuals working in farming, food, horticulture, and rural industries or are in a position to influence those who do - and are resident in the United Kingdom. They will have spent at least two years working in their current appointment, be at least three years since leaving full time education or study and be no more than 45 years old. Applications are made by 31st July each year via the website: www.nuffieldscholar.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Rupert Alers-Hankey, Director
Telephone: 07919030055
Email: Rupert@nuffieldscholar.org or office@nuffieldscholar.org
Post nominals are only included in full for The Patron. The identification NSch is only included where it is appropriate to differentiate between others in that group (e.g. External Trustees, Selectors)
NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIPS
APPOINTMENTS & SPECIAL AWARDS
NUFFIELD FARMING CHAIRS
(With year of appointment)
1970 - John Cyster
1985 - Charles Wharton
1991 - Chris Older
1994 - Richard Holland
1997 - Stephen Fell
2000 - John Alvis
2003 - Wynne Jones
2005 - Campbell Tweed
2007 - Tony Pexton
2009 - Jack Ward
2011 - Stephen Watkins
2014 - Wallace Hendrie
2016 - Julian Darling
2018 - Helen Woolley
2020 - Chris Graf Grote
2022 - Wyn Owen
NUFFIELD FARMING DIRECTORS
(With year of appointment)
1968 - John Stewart
(as Secretary and later Director)
1989 - Steven Bullock
2001 - John Stones
2013 - Mike Vacher
2024 – Rupert Alers-Hankey
HONORARY UK NUFFIELD SCHOLARS
(Past and Present)
Anne Beckett
Alison Blackburn
Allan Buckwell
Gillian Bullock
Richard Butler
Hazel Byford
Douglas Carter
Eric Carter
Norman Coward
Henry Fell
Tony Harris
Jim Harrison
David Hughes
Edward W Owens
Henry Plumb
Frank Thompstone
Richard Trehane
Mike Vacher
Meryl Ward
Charles Wharton
David Yonge
JOHN STEWART SHIELD
(Given for the Best Presentation at the Annual Conference)
1991 - George Russell
1992 - Ambrose Fowler
1993 - Kate Kerr
1994 - Emma Leonard
1995 - Guy Smith
1996 - Gwyn Jones
1997 - Mark Buckingham
1998 - Tim O’Leary
1999 - Gary Naylor
2000 - Ger Bergin
2001 - Kevin Green
2002 - Belinda Clarke
2003 - Paul Fox
2004 - John Strawson
2005 - Robert Lasseter
2006 - Matthew Naylor
2007 - John Yeomans
2008 - Mike Tyers
2009 - Peter Gresty
2010 - Jim Shanks
2011 - Michael Blanche
2012 - Ian Pye
2013 - Joe Delves
2014 - Liam Stokes
2015 - David Walston
2016 - Aled Jones
2017 – Peter Wiggins-Davies
2018 - Alex Brewster
2019 - Angus Selby
2020 - Not awarded
2021 - Vicky Robinson
2022 - Teresa Meadows
2023 - Anna Bowen, Helen Wyman
HSBC SALVER FOR THE BEST STUDY REPORT
1999 - Julian Madeley
2000 - Cormac McKervey
2001 - Chris Lloyd
2002 - Philip Hughes
2003 - Donald MacPherson
2004 - Liz Bowles
2005 - Geoff Sansome
2006 - Juno McKee
2007 - Diana Allen
2008 – No award
2009 - Charlie Walker
2010 - David Alvis
2011 - Jim Shanks
2012 - Jo Franklin
2013 - Jez Ralph
2014 – Amy Jackson
2015 - Ali Capper
2016 - Werner Strydom
2017 - Neil McGowan
2018 - Richard Counsell
2019 - Jude McCann
2020 - Jenna Ross
2021 - Dan Burdett
FRANK ARDEN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS
1997 - John Alliston
(as the preceding ‘Jubilee Scholarship’)
2000 - Guy Smith
2002 - Tony Pexton
2005 - Will Taylor
2007 - David Hugill, Jiggy Lloyd, Julian Morgan, Chris Pollock
2009 - Lindsay Hargreaves, David Gardner
2011 - Nik Johnson, Mark Tucker
2013 - Caroline Drummond, David Northcroft
REDESIGNATED NUFFIELD FARMING LECTURE
2018 - Michael Winter
2020 - Andrew Fearne
REDESIGNATED FRANK ARDEN NUFFIELD FARMING LEADERSHIP AWARD
2021 - Caroline Drummond
2023 – Rob Burtonshaw
STEVEN AND GILLIAN BULLOCK INNOVATION AWARD
2007 - Jo Scammel
2008 - Andrew Dyke
2009 - Lyndon Edwards
2010 - Matthew Dobbs
2011 - Ian Pigott
2012 - David Rose
2013 - Donald MacPherson
2014 - Neil Perkins
2015 - John Yeomans
2016 - Martin Thatcher
2017 – Andy Gage
2018 - Michael Dart
2019 - Jim Shanks
2020 - Stephen Briggs
2021 - Caroline Millar
2022 - Jake Freestone
2023 - Jen Hunter, Robert Neill
GREENER FUTURE AWARD
2022 - Jenna Ross
CHAIR’S REPORT FOR 2024
WYN OWEN NSch
Wow! – Where did those two years go? It was an immense pleasure and a privilege to become Chair of NFST at the AGM in Cardiff in November 2022, however I find it hard to believe that my two year term is already nearly at an end. I was never in any doubt of the responsibility that comes with becoming chair of such a prestigious and special organisation and although the time has flown, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity, the camaraderie, the challenges and the continuous learning.
TRUSTEE BOARD
I have been extremely fortunate to have a tremendously capable, positive and proactive group of Trustees to work with and am grateful to them all for their considerable contributions in many ways. However, I must mention two in particular:
Tom Rawson has been an invaluable sounding block and confidant over the past two years as well as being a supporting rock. He has also willingly and competently taken on several key additional projects during this term as Vice Chair including Chairing the Exeter 2023 Conference organising committee, launching of the NextGen Nuffield Scholarship (resulting in three outstanding dairy candidates from Northern Ireland successfully completing the pilot programme) and also taking a key role in the organisation of this year’s conference in Belfast.
Trustee David Rose has eagerly and proactively taken up the baton of something close to my heart namely - engaging the alumni. He has spent hundreds of hours communicating with Nuffield Scholars from across the decades by e-mail, old fashioned snail mail and telephone. He has also purposefully re-energised the year groups and personally visited a large number of Scholars, often those with whom we had lost touch. His initiative continues to grow through podcasts, social media, events and celebrations of particular year groups. I firmly believe that whilst we all owe Nuffield
a huge debt of gratitude, we also have so much still to gain from this unique family. Those Scholars who are no longer engaging are losing out on a very special relationship and similarly we are all less enriched by not engaging with them
Trustees held our away-day in Warwickshire in June to consider strategies for the future and these two days were extremely insightful and productive. A series of themed workshops were led by different Trustees with a Board meeting being held on the final morning to agree on and implement future actions. For me one of several “light bulb” moments was the realisation that whilst Nuffield has historically been extremely good at communicating the undoubted benefits of a Nuffield Scholarship to an individual, the longer term cumulative benefit is the greater impact that Scholar can have on their business, their sector and their communities. This was termed the “ripple effect” at the away day and I suspect that this concept may become a key concept for promoting Nuffield in future.
NEW DIRECTOR
Rupert Alers-Hankey officially became Director of NFST on January 1st 2024 and very quickly got to know the nature, the mechanics and the drivers for the Trust. He has been particularly pro-active in getting out and about to events and meeting as many Nuffield Scholars and stakeholders as he can. Rupert has re-structured the Nuffield Team with more clearly defined roles and greater responsibility and autonomy for the Team who have embraced this He has proven to be an extremely capable no nonsense implementer, and we are extremely fortunate to have secured his services as our Director. Rupert has no illusions in terms of the challenges ahead for the Trust and in conjunction with Trustees, the sub-committees, working groups and other stakeholders has a clear view of the long term goals. From the Chair’s perspective I greatly appreciate his openness, straightforwardness and easy cooperation. I wish Rupert all the very best for his first Conference in Belfast and a long and successful term as our Director. I would also like to thank Mike Vacher for his long service as our Director and for his support during the first half of my Chairmanship, it was my Great pleasure to present him with an honorary Nuffield Scholarship in Exeter last November.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Our core business of course is awarding travel scholarships to individuals working in agriculture, food and associated industries. The Trust received an unprecedented number of completed applications in 2024, with an extremely high standard of candidates. Huge credit is due all those who have in any way encouraged or supported potential applicants and particularly Charlotte, our Programme Delivery Manager. Following Trustees’ decision last year to remove the cap on the number of Scholarships awarded, NFST were delighted to report the award of twenty four UK Scholarships for 2025. Having met them all, I have no doubt that standards are as high as ever and that we have a tremendous group of
highly capable and diverse Scholars. We offer them hearty congratulations and look forward to following and supporting them, over the next two years and beyond. This of course wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors to whom we are exceptionally grateful and eager to support the development of positive mutually beneficial relationships between sponsors and their Scholars.
The accredited reports initiative continues to grow and develop in partnership with the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University. A milestone in this initiative was the graduation of Tim Stephens NSch last summer, with the first full MSc awarded through this programme which enables Nuffield Scholars to build upon their Nuffield credits by completing further distance learning modules. This clear pathway is an excellent optional opportunity for those who choose to combine their Nuffield journey with high level professional CPD and is clearly aligned with our goal to develop future leaders.
FINANCE
NFST remains financially strong with healthy reserves, and our finances are constantly and capably monitored and scrutinised by a strong and hugely experienced finance sub-committee ably chaired by Tom Rawson. However, Trustees are aware that recent poor performance of investments, combined with continuing inflation and a continued annual operating deficit. The situation is being closely monitored with the recognition that the fundamental challenge for the Trust is to raise considerably more income in future and several initiatives have been implemented with a view to achieving this. In particular, the fundraising committee has been reinstated with some extremely experienced members who have developed and are currently in the process of implementing a new fundraising strategy for the future.
NUFFIELD INTERNATIONAL
One of the additional privileges and responsibilities of being the Chair of NFST UK is to sit on the Board of Nuffield International (NI) which has given me an additional perspective on the important work that NI does. NI continues to grow and develop and it’s crucial to Nuffield UK that it continues to do so. The Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) in particular is an important and life changing experience for UK Scholars with its high level content and perspective challenge. Having now personally experienced five CSCs, the traditional melting pot of Australian, Canadian and New Zealand Scholars continues to be enriched by Scholars from Brazil, Chile, Japan, Poland, USA and others. The extremely well organised and highly praised (by UK Scholars) pre CSC in London is now well established as the springboard for the true start of the Scholarship, serving as a lead-in to the CSC and often leading to on-going travel and/or a Global Focus Programme (GFP). However, the GFP continues to pose a challenge for greater involvement by UK Scholars despite conversely becoming a key component for Nuffield Scholars from most other countries, including newer countries as they come on board as full members. On a final NI note, please note in your diaries the All-Ireland Triennial Conference in May 2026.
2024ScholarsandmeattheCSCinBrazilthisyear
AND FINALLY…
As I reflect back on my two years as Chair I particularly appreciate the opportunity to get to know the 2023 and 2024 Nuffield Scholars, it was impossible not to be inspired by their infectious enthusiasm and passion. The privilege of spending time with them at the Pre-CSC and the CSC is immense and allowed me in many ways to re-live my Scholarship vicariously and I am extremely grateful to them for being so open and welcoming. John Alvis told me once that the secret of Nuffield’s success is that we don’t become old as an organisation, because we consistently recruit a new cohort of Scholars every year who annually inject new energy, enthusiasm and insight into the Nuffield family.
Trustees are extremely grateful for the sterling work to the 2024 Conference Organising committee led by Ciaran Hamill and supported by the Nuffield Team. We look forward to an excellent, insightful and productive few days in Belfast. Finally, we are extremely grateful to all our sponsors who are instrumental to the operations and success of NFST, with particular thanks due to Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust, our Title Sponsor, and AHDB and Fane Valley our Main and Principal Conference Sponsors. All of the above takes an enormous amount of time, expertise and commitment to implement and I would like to particularly thank Claire Laidler (Office Manager), Lindsay Woods (Project Manager) and Charlotte Merson (Programme Delivery Manager) for their substantial contribution, commitment and effort over the past year.
I look forward to seeing you all in Belfast and indeed in Aberdeen in 2024 and many more Nuffield conferences thereafter…
Yours in Nuffield
Wyn
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DIRECTOR’S REPORT FOR 2024
RUPERT ALERS-HANKEY
I took over as Director on 1st January 2024 and it has been an interesting 10 months. I would like to thank Mike Vacher, Nuffield Farming is complicated with layers of history and Mike’s detailed handover has given me a head start. I work to the Board of Trustees, and I am struck by the time and energy they all give to Nuffield. Wyn Owen has been exceptional in the way he has fostered an open and cheerful board environment, which has led to all Board members being heard and a real dynamism to drive Nuffield forward. I would like to express my personal thanks to Wyn. He has listened to my ideas, encouraged those that he thinks will fly and tempered those that need to grow wings!
My arrival coincided with a significant change for the office team, who all became employed on a part time basis as of 1st January 2024. Their roles have changed too. Claire Laidler continues as the office manager but has taken on a wider role with our Trustees, sponsors and partners. Charlotte Merson is the programme deliver manager, in line with the Trust’s Object – to deliver Nuffield Farming Scholars, she is now responsible for all aspects of the scholarship journey. She has also taken on the Next-Gen scholarship. Lindsay Woods in addition to running the payroll and payment runs, is the project manager for the conference(s) and AgDiversity. Claire Bragg NSch, continues in a consultancy role to run the management accounts and provide sound advice. Change is always a challenge, and I would like to thank them all for the effort, tolerance and can-do attitude to ensure we make a small but great team
We were honoured when our Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester visited the 2024 Nuffield Farming Scholars during the Pre-CSC in March. The Pre-CSC marks the start of the scholar leadership development programme.
They heard from a range of industry speakers, visited Westminster Palace and No. 10 Downing Street, where Robbie Moore hosted a lively discussion in the state dining room.
The CSC in Brazil was my first introduction to Nuffield International - sixteen countries and over 120 delegates. A real melting pot of ideas and for the 2024 Nuffield UK scholars the start of a lifetime of friendship with the 2024 Nuffield Scholars from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, USA and Zimbabwe.
In June, the Board of Trustees met for two days to review the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan and conduct a series of deep dives into the Plan’s four objectives: Energise the groups and the alumni; Expand the Nuffield Scholar programme; Secure the Trust’s future and Build the Nuffield Farming brand. Tackling issues such as values and Nuffield International, the Next-Gen scholarship, the fundraising strategy, membership, annual donations and looking forward to a five-year horizon. This gives the direction to allow the Board, Committees and office team to deliver against these objectives.
It is important to get out and about and I have really enjoyed meeting Nuffield Farming Scholars at the Nuffield receptions held at the Balmoral Show, Royal Norfolk Show, Royal Highland Show and Royal Welsh Show and will aim to visit more shows next year. I have also been to a number of Scholar gatherings, the most recent organised by Mary Ward at the English Distillery in Norfolk.
2024 has seen a number of new initiatives; the Next-Gen Nuffield Farming scholarship pilot for 18-24 year olds has proven to be a real success. This is part of our developing young talent programme and will provide a pathway to the Nuffield Farming scholarship. Launched in Northern Ireland, a panel led by Tom Rawson selected Bronagh Dempster, Ewan McCracken and Kirsten Henry to be the first Next-Gen Nuffield Farming Scholars. They completed a 28 day dairy study tour across the UK, visiting 45 dairy businesses and staying on farm with Nuffield Scholars. The 2024 Next-Gen Scholars will present at the Conference in Belfast.
By launching the Next-Gen scholarship in Northern Ireland in the same year as the Belfast Conference, we have seen a real interest from sponsors and a leap in young people finding out about Nuffield through social media and in the Irish farming press.
We plan to continue the Next-Gen scholarship pilot in 2025, opening up applications from across the UK for the dairy study tour and starting a poultry scholarship for applicants from Scotland. I am very pleased to announce that the Trehane Trust, will become the main Next-Gen dairy scholarship sponsor for the next five years.
The second significant initiative has been led by the Reputation and Public Outreach group after their proposal was approved by the Board of Trustees. Agriculture is one of the least diverse industries in the United Kingdom, in terms of ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation. This presents a series of challenges for the industry, most notably when it comes to recruitment and its relationship with wider society. One of our barriers to welcoming more diverse people to agriculture is a lack of awareness among those in the industry in how to relate to and communicate with people from different backgrounds. To help address this, Nuffield Farming launched in October 2024 at Romshed Farm near Sevenoaks in Kent, a new online learning course – AgDiversity. Aiming to raise awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion issues in UK agriculture.
In collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society of England, we have published two
Trustees’AwayDay
JohnnyandJoAlviswiththeNext-GenScholars
Bitesize Guides; Nutrients & Water: turning pollution into resource efficiencies and Young People and Succession Planning: overcoming barriers for next generation farmers This is the first of a series of Bitesize Guides that bring together key findings from Nuffield Farming reports to give practical advice to farmers
In an initiative led by the Sustainability working group, scholars now have a guide on how to reduce their carbon footprint when planning travel and we aim to baseline the scholars carbon footprint. International travel is the USP of the Nuffield Farming scholarship experience and the Trust is committed to support initiatives to enhance sustainability and the environment
The Trust has been living with a year-on-year deficit for some time. This is not sustainable. There has been a series of internal reviews that have seen a retendering of outsourced training providers for the scholarship programme; giving better value for money, while maintaining standards. All activity: Conference, AgDiversity, Next-Gen, core scholarship, etc. run to tight budgets with operational costs baked in. 2024, has seen the re-establishment of the Fundraising Committee and a 3-year Fundraising Plan put in place, with a focus on the major donor programme. We have very good support from partners to sponsor scholarships, and in 2024 have added a number of new sponsors such as FCN and the Milking Goat Association. Claire and I have put real effort into fostering established and engaging new sponsors. A sponsor’s dinner was held during the Board away day, which was well attended.
I am keen that scholar sponsors hold an annual event to bring together their scholars. This will foster a lifetime of engagement through Nuffield and their sponsor networks. The Worshipful Company of Farmers with
Savills held a dinner in April, AHDB invited their 18 scholars to a working dinner in Nottingham and the Food Chain Scholarship also held a dinner in October. The Trehane Trust, Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust and Central Region Farmers Trust also hold their own dinner/conference for their scholars.
The Nuffield Farming Scholarship is in high demand and for a second year we had over 90 applicants. In October, 41 candidates were interviewed in London, and the Selection Committee awarded 24 scholarships. I would like to thank the Selection Committee for all their hard work and commitment this year. The feedback from scholar sponsor representatives was ‘resoundingly impressive candidates’. Charlotte has worked hard encouraging and helping candidates through the application process. I also commend the Regions and Study groups for organising events for potential scholars and encouraging them to apply and for those that get selected for interview, running mock interviews. While the demand and numbers are good, there are still some sectors that need to put forward suitable candidates that will make the grade.
I am looking forward to the Conference in Belfast. The Conference Committee have broken records on gaining sponsorship, their energy and drive must be commended. Lindsay Woods and I with Jenna Ross have already started planning the 2025 Conference in Aberdeen. We have entered into an agreement with Agriconnect, who run the Future Farming Expo Scotland, and will partner with them through shared space and leverage their media network to promote the 2025 Conference.
Finally, I would like to thank Claire L, Charlotte, Lindsay and Claire B for embracing the change and making it such an enjoyable last 10 months.
The operations of the Trust, excluding investment income and donations, have, again, made an operating deficit this year on its charitable activities. Trustees have initiated measures such as a revision of the 5 Year strategic plan and implementation of a 3 year fundraising strategy to enable them to manage the ongoing operational deficit. The gross resources arising in the year amounted to £661,767 (2023: £674,794). Total charitable expenditure was £458,001 (2023: £364,748).
Despite having unrestricted reserves of £1.1M, running a year on year deficit is unsustainable. Trustees have established a Fundraising Committee and an Alumni working group. The output from the Fundraising Committee is a 3 year Fundraising Strategy, which repositions Nuffield Farming as a Charity in need; its priority is to build the major donor programme. The Alumni working group, led by the Chair of Trustees, seeks to reinvigourate the Alumni through greater year group cohesion and in doing so encourage more Members to pay the annual donation. The annual donation, £120 has remained unchanged for at least ten years, and is paid by about 388 Members per year. Trustees approved the decision to increase the Annual Donation for the 2024 calendar year to £150. Nuffield Farming continues to rely on annual donations, income from investments, and unrestricted funds raised through sponsorship e.g. Title sponsorship and Friends of Nuffield Farming.
The Nuffield Farming scholarship is in high demand with about 85 applicants from which 23 scholarships were awarded, an increase from 19 being awarded in 2022. All twenty three, 2024 Nuffield Farming scholars have been fully sponsored. The scholarship cost was raised from £13,000 to £15,000. The scholar bursary remains at £8,000. While sponsors are willing to support the Nuffield Farming scholarship, they are less inclined to support the Global Focus Programme (GFP). We have received a very positive response from partners willing to fund the Next-Gen scholarship.
Delivering the scholarship within £15,000 is challenging. Nuffield International sets delegate charges for the Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) at US$1700 and the Nuffield International levy US$600, per scholar. Flights to the CSC are long haul; 2022 CSC, Vancouver, 2023 CSC Brazil and 2024 CSC New Zealand. All leadership development training delivered by external providers has been retendered, to drive down cost while maintaining the standard expected.
The significant in year change has been that from 1 January 2024, four staff were employed all on a part time basis. This change, directed by the Trustees, is in response to independent auditor’s advice from the last auditor’s report.
FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES, RESERVES ALLOCATIONS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGY POLICY (APPROVED BY TRUSTEES IN FEB 2024)
The strategic management of Trust’s finances are run according to the policy setting out the overarching Financial Objectives, Reserves Allocations and Investment Strategy for the Trust. The Financial Objectives are now to: maximise the return on investments, both in capital growth and income, within the agreed level of risk; provide stable and consistent levels of investment income for the Charity to pursue its charitable objectives and always maintain a cash or near cash reserve, the quantum to be recommended by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees. The Reserves Policy divides the Charitable funds into three reserves:
Long Term Reserve. This reserve will be invested with the objective to accrue capital growth and provide income. Donations of capital in lump sums, such as legacies, will be invested in this fund which will comprise of unrestricted and restricted funds where the intention is to hold a lump sum for the long term with income used to provide scholarships. The net income, after the deduction of management fees, is to be returned to the charity’s Operating Bank account for use by the Trust to pursue its charitable objectives. Capital growth can also be utilised in two sets of circumstances:
• Under exceptional circumstances when income falls short of the needs of the Trust (or exceptional costs are incurred) to achieve its charitable objectives.
• Secondly, under normal circumstances where capital growth in the unrestricted Long Term reserve funds (and some restricted funds) have grown by more than the CPI inflation index plus 2% over a five year rolling period of growth, that growth may be applied to the charitable objectives at the discretion of Trustees. Liquidity Reserve. A cash or near cash reserve on deposit with one or more of the fund managers. The sum to be determined by the Finance Committee and recommended to the Board of Trustees. The Board has authorised a minimum sum of £300,000 be held on deposit. Sums in excess of this minimum may be transferred to the Long Term Reserve at the discretion of the Finance Committee.
Operating Bank Account. This account receives investment income and is the operating bank account managed by the Director. This account is expected to operate between £nil and £200,000 in credit and also includes an operating deposit account.
The Board of Trustees want to see capital growth which is in excess of inflation over the long term and reliable and consistent investment income. The detailed management of investments will be the responsibility of the appointed professional managers, but representatives of the Finance Committee will meet the fund managers annually to review performance and plans which take account of: Risk. The investment risks of volatility in capital values and reliable investment income are managed by the investment managers. However, the risk has been mitigated by holding cash on deposit to smooth the charity past difficult investment conditions and allow adjustment for unfavourable market circumstances. Ethical investment. Both investment managers have ethical investment policies approved by the finance committee members. These policies do develop and change and are discussed during the annual meeting. The Finance Committee reports to the Board if it is felt that there is a disparity between the ethical strategy of the managers and the joint view of the committee. Benchmark. The two managers use their own benchmarks and the Finance Committee makes its own comparison between the investment companies to assess their relative performance.
RECENT PERFORMANCE
Total funds of the Trust as at 5 April 2024 amounted to £3,262,865 (2023: £3,216,753) whilst free reserves (which include surplus funds held as unrestricted investments in order to generate income) stand at £1,146,611 (2023: £1,305,180). The market value of the Trust’s investments at 5 April 2024 were £3,386,424 (2023: £3,235,022) against their cost of £2,136,551 (2023: £2,220,307).
TRENDS 2018-2024
NOTES ON RECENT PERFORMANCE FIGURES:
• Operating Surplus. There has been a year on year deficit since 2019-20.
• Unrealised Investment Gains/Losses. This is sometimes referred to as ‘investment growth’ (or decline) and for which there are no fixed targets. Rather the movement in funds reflects changes in the stock market with a negative figure indicating a reduction in value. The growth of investments in 2018-19, was seen as normal. However, In 2019-20, we suffered a decline of -£133k, only for this to ‘bounce back’ in 2020-21. In 2021-22 it was £239k sufficient to maintain a positive ‘Net Movement in Funds’. In 2022-23 the Unrealised Investment Decline combined with the operating deficit resulted in a negative Net Movement in Funds. In 2023-24 we saw a gain to £251k.
• Donations to Restricted/Unrestricted Funds. The Trust continues to benefit from the generosity of charitable and private donors to establish ‘restricted funds’ to be used specifically for their scholarships. In 2018-19 financial year donations were received for a John Oldacre Restricted Fund of £1,100k as well as a further legacy from the Jill Willows Estate of £162k. In 2019-20 major donations totalling £522k were received or formally promised, but, in 2020-21 the amount was £55k and in 2021-22 significantly less at £6k. In 2022-23 this rose to £87k.
• Net Movement in Funds. This figure shows the final, overall, increase or decrease in funds.
• Balance Carried Forward. This is the Net Worth of the Trust and reflects that of the previous year plus or minus the net movement in funds.
• Investments. This is the total value of the short and long term reserves. These have grown considerably over recent years and the unrestricted or free reserves now total £1,146k, which is a decline from 2022-23.
SUMMARY
The operations of the Trust, excluding investment income and donations, have, again, made an operating deficit this year on its charitable activities. To address this, Trustees have revised the 5 year Strategic Plan, established the Fundraising Committee and approved and resourced a 3 year fundraising strategic plan – with a focus on the major donor programme. The Alumni working group, led by the Chair of Trustees, seeks to reinvigourate the Alumni through greater year group cohesion and in doing so encourage more Members to pay the annual donation. Trustees have also approved an increase in the annual donation from £120 to £150 for calendar year 2024. The Nuffield Farming scholarship is in high demand with about 85 applicants from which 23 scholarships were awarded, an increase from 19 being awarded in 2022. All twenty three, 2024 Nuffield Farming scholars have been fully sponsored. The scholarship cost was raised from £13,000 to £15,000.
The significant in year change has been that from 1 January 2024, four staff were employed
NEXT-GEN NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIP –
DEVELOPING YOUNG
TALENT
The Next-Gen Nuffield Farming Scholarship is aimed at young people aged 18-24 as part of the developing young talent initiative. We hope that the scholarship will enable young people to build knowledge in a particular agricultural sector, while also getting an understanding of all that Nuffield Farming has to offer. This scholarship will use the Nuffield Farming Scholar network to link successful applicants directly to farmers.
Secondary aims of the 2024 Next-Gen Dairy Scholarship were: to energise the dairy group across the UK; by launching the scholarship in Northern Ireland build interest in the 2024 Conference, Belfast; leave a legacy in Northern Ireland; and create a pipeline of Next-Gen Scholars for the core Nuffield Farming scholarship.
The Next-Gen Nuffield Farming Scholarship was launched in Northern Ireland as a pilot in October 2023, with dairy as the sector focus. 10 applications were received and in February 2024, interviews were held in Belfast. The selection panel led by Tom Rawson with Trevor Alcorn and Jason Rankin selected three young people. The 2024 Next-Gen Scholars are Bronagh Dempster, Kirsten Henry and Ewan McCracken. Ewan was sponsored by the Thomas Henry Foundation, with our Title sponsor the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust sponsoring Bronagh and Kirsten.
The 2024 Next-Gen dairy study tour ran from 14 June to 12 July 2024; 28 days with 45 farm visits that included the Nuffield Farming dairy tour to North Wales and Cheshire (meeting up with the GFP), the Royal Highland Show, and East Midlands Farm Walk.
2025 NEXT-GEN SCHOLARSHIP.
In June 2024, the Board approved the next stage of the Next-Gen Scholarship pilot. This will see a Dairy and Poultry Next-Gen Scholarship running concurrently.
The aim remains unchanged. Secondary aims for the 2025 Next-Gen Scholarship are: to build on gains made with the dairy group across the UK; energise the poultry group; by launching the poultry scholarship in Scotland, build interest in the 2025 Conference, Aberdeen; leave a legacy in Scotland; and create a pipeline of Next-Gen Scholars for the core Nuffield Farming Scholarship.
The 2025 Next-Gen Dairy Scholarship will be opened across the UK to young people aged 18-24 with a background in the dairy sector. The best, three young people will be selected by a 3-person panel chaired by Tom Rawson with a representative from the Trehane Trust and one person drawn from the dairy group. The 2025 dairy study tour will run for about 28 days and will include the dairy group tour to France (14-18 June 2025), followed by visits to Nuffield Farming scholars with dairy businesses in the UK and Ireland.
The Next-Gen Poultry Scholarship will be opened to young people aged 18-24 from Scotland with a background in the poultry sector. A selection panel, chaired by a Trustee with 2 people drawn from the poultry group, will select up to three candidates.
Applications will open on 21 November 2024 and close on 31 January 2025. Application forms will be hosted on the Website. Shortlisting, by sector selection panels, will take place 1-7 February 2025 and interviews will take place in person by end February 2025.
Dyson
Farming
Research
is
a leading provider of information to facilitate a smarter approach to successful crop management.
As experts in soils and crop management, we enable farmers to achieve better productivity and enhance profitability. Using the latest technology, data and thinking, we equip decision makers with solutions to adopt smarter approaches for successful crop management.
GOVERNANCE OF THE NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIPS TRUST
INTRODUCTION
This note is provided on the direction of the Trustees to give an overview of the governance of the Trust. The full Memorandum and Articles of Association are available from the NFST Office and on the website.
OVERVIEW
The ‘Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust’ (NFST) is a registered charity (No. 1098519) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 04787639). All its activities are governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 4th June 2003 as amended by special resolutions dated 21st November 2014 and 23rd November 2022. The Trustee Board controls the Trust and is responsible for overseeing its activities on behalf of the Members to whom it reports at general meetings, with an annual general meeting being held annually. The Trustee Board must meet at least twice a year and has terms of reference to cover its activities and those of its committees: Finance, Communications, Fundraising, Selection and Nominations. Separate working groups may be formed from time to time to progress specific projects. The Trust is promoted and fostered by a network of countrywide regional and study groups.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
The Memorandum per the Companies Act 2006, sets out the governance of the Trust. Setting out the Objects, eligibility for award of a scholarship, the powers which may be exercised to promote the Objects, and benefits to Members and Trustee Board members. The Articles of Association describe how the Trust is run, governed and owned. These define membership: set out how general meetings will be run; describe the organisation, proceedings and powers of the Trustee Board; set the
parameters for the Selection Committee and scholars’ obligations; and outline the administration of the Trust.
OBJECTS
The Objects are “to promote agricultural, horticultural, forestry and countryside management education in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland and abroad and to advance the standard of farming (including the food supply chain, horticulture, forestry and countryside management and associated topics) in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, including but without limitation, by the provision of Scholarships to persons who fulfil the conditions set out in the Memorandum to enable them to study the practices and techniques employed anywhere in the world.”
MEMBERS
Membership of the Trust is open to any individual or organization interested in promoting or sponsoring the Objects who: is approved by the Trustee Board; is a Nuffield Scholar, or an Honorary Nuffield Scholar or a member of the Trustee Board or the Selection Committee, who pays at least the Qualifying Donation to the Charity (subject to the discretion of the Trustee Board to waive this requirement) or is a Recognised Sponsor (or sponsor representative) who pays at least the Qualifying Sponsorship to the Charity.
TRUSTEE BOARD
The Trustee Board is formed by 6 – 13 elected individuals of whom at least 75% must be Nuffield Scholars. There shall be no more than 2 nonscholar external advisors. This may be increased to no more than 15 by co-opting additional members until the next AGM. Trustees retire (excluding Chair and Vice Chair) as at the AGM when they have served 3 years when they are eligible for re-election for a further 3 year term until they have served for six years, excluding any period served as a Returning Scholar Trustee.
Presently (as at November 2024) the Trustee Board is formed by: 10 Nuffield Scholars including the Chair and Vice Chair; 3 Returning Scholar Trustees representing the most recently completed year groups (2020, 2021 and 2022) and 1 non-scholar external advisor. The Nuffield Scholar trustees and non-scholar external advisor are elected/re-elected at the AGM, the Returning Scholar Trustees are initially elected by their year groups and formally confirmed at the AGM. The Chair and Vice Chair each serve for two years in that office unless the AGM decides that there are exceptional circumstances which justify one additional year. Their retirement in accordance with the six year rule is postponed whilst in office.
The Trustee Board has the powers to:
• appoint additional Trustees up to the maximum of 15 including those co-opted until the next AGM;
• appoint and remove the Director;
• nominate the Chair and Vice Chair from the Nuffield Scholars on the Board;
• recommend Trustee Board Members for reelection.
and make other administrative arrangements including forming committees, making standing orders, rules, procedures and arrangements to promote the good governance of the Trust and its wider success. The Trustee Board currently meets four times each year.
COMMITTEES
The Trustee Board has five committees:
• Communications and Operations Committee. To advise the Trustee Board on matters relating to communications and operations including; PR, social media, scholars (progress, training, reports, videos), awards, conference. It meets 4 times each year before the corresponding Trustee Board meeting.
• Finance Committee. To advise the Trustee Board on matters relating to finance and financial procedures. It regularly reviews financial policy, reserves and investment policies, monitors in year financial progress and recommends an annual budget. It meets 4 times each year before the corresponding Trustee Board meeting and is led by the Vice Chair.
• Fundraising Committee. To advise the Trustee Board on matters relating to fundraising in line with the Fundraising Strategy. It meets 4 times per year.
• Selections Committee. To select Nuffield Farming scholars. The five person Committee is led by the Chair, with the Vice Chair of the Trust and two external and one Nuffield Scholar members and their appointment is endorsed at the AGM. It meets 2-3 times per year to shortlist and select applicants. Members serve for a maximum of two terms of three years.
• Nominations Committee. To propose nominations to the Trustee Board of those to be recommended to the AGM to fill vacancies or appointments on the Trustee Board. It is currently formed by the Chair, Vice Chair and Chair of the Communications Committee and meets once each year prior to the AGM.
Rupert Alers-Hankey
2023 STEVEN AND GILLIAN BULLOCK AWARD
When selecting their squads, football managers sometimes talk about “nice problems to have” when selecting who to take and who to leave off a team sheet from a wealth of talent.
If anything, the judges of this year’s Bullock Award had a tougher job than Gareth Southgate, with an outstanding group of applicants, all of whom deserve recognition for what they have achieved in the ten years since completing their scholarship.
Normally this is the part where I say: “However,therecanonlybeonewinner.”
But this year I am delighted to announce that after intense discussions, it was the unanimous verdict of the judges that, for the first time, two joint winners will be recognised.
Our first winner is someone who has done a huge amount to raise the profile of a truly sustainable product that is woefully undervalued by society.
It is a tribute to her passion for wool that she has taken ownership of every aspect of driving up quality of the product after a Nuffield examining how this is being done successfully in other parts of the globe.
This extends from breeding a specialist dualpurpose breed to produce high quality meat and wool right through to finding and growing a multitude of markets for all grades of the versatile fibre.
But in the true spirit of Nuffield, this awardwinning sheep farmer is not only building a successful enterprise against the odds but is championing the value of wool to farmers, shearers, textile workers and students across the UK and far beyond these shores.
She and her husband have flung open the gates of their farm to droves of people who want to come and learn more about blade shearing and the industry in general.
In addition, she has travelled far and wide to learn and share insights, speaking at a myriad of farming events and to non-specialist audiences.
Our second winner has been no less influential in his objective to break down silos in the beef industry between farmers, processors, retailers and consumers after a Nuffield scholarship looking at EID in cattle.
If you think it should be simple to get a continuous stream of useful data flowing between each part of that supply chain then think again
Yet he may be the convener that, after much work, manages to bring all the different stakeholders together to get compulsory EID up and running in Scotland in such a way that is useful for all concerned.
His farm in the Scottish borders has welcomed a stream of politicians, civil servants and farmers to see the on-farm value of the upgrade in action – fewer errors in recordkeeping, lower costs and safer for livestock handlers.
If – or should I say in hope, when – it comes to pass then he will deserve an enormous slice of the credit for making it happen
This former Farmers Weekly Farmer of the Year has also taken on a number of other industryleading roles including being a board member and chairman of the Agriscot event, chairing his local NFU Scotland branch and sitting on the national Livestock committee.
Please join me in saluting two outstanding Bullock Award winners, Jen Hunter and Robert Neill!
Stephen Fell NSch
2023 JOHN STEWART SHIELD
The John Stewart Shield is awarded for the best Scholar presentation at the Nuffield Farming Conference. For the first time ever, it was awarded to two presenting Scholars: Anna Bowen NSch 2021(left): ‘Cowcalfcontact:dairy’sethicalfuture’and Helen Wyman NSch 2022 (right): ‘Mentoring:AmechanismfordrivingpositivechangeinUKagriculture’.
2023 FRANK ARDEN NUFFIELD FARMING LEADERSHIP AWARD
Rob Burtonshaw NSch 2012 was the winner of this award and is deemed to have the potential to hold a wider leadership role within British Agriculture and receives full funding to take part in a Windsor Leadership Trust course. The award was presented by Nick Green NSch, Chairperson of the FCCT (right) and Chair Wyn Owen (Left).
PROGRAMME DELIVERY MANAGER’S REPORT FOR 2024
CHARLOTTE MERSON
Another extremely busy year has flown by, as always I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who have supported both Nuffield and myself this year by hosting and running events and speaking to potential Scholars.
The year started strongly back in January with an open evening where Anna Bowen eloquently shared her Nuffield experiences with potential Scholars and then chaired the Q&A session. Following last year’s success, we repeated the opening of the application portal on the day of the open evening and were pleased to see a high number of initial registrations. I then repeated the dropin sessions for applicants giving them an opportunity to hear more about both the application process and the scholarship journey, 2023 Scholars Claire Taylor and Jim Bliss gave wonderful insights into their Scholarship journeys during the sessions which really inspired and motivated applications.
Over the last 24 months the interest in doing a Nuffield Scholarship has been so high and this trend continued with applications this year, we received 94 applications all of which were of an outstanding quality.
The Trustees are delighted to report receipt of an unprecedented number of completed applications in 2024, with an extremely high standard of candidates. Huge credit is due to all Scholars, Nuffield groups, Trustees and other industry stakeholders who have in any way encouraged or supported potential applicants. Particular thanks is due to all the Nuffield office team and especially Charlotte our Programme Delivery Manager, who supports and encourages all applicants throughout the process from initial interest to attending interview in London
WynOwen,NuffieldFarmingChair
The 2024 Scholars enjoyed an inciteful, thought-provoking and intense few days for their Pre CSC in London in March. A particular highlight was visiting Number 10 Downing Street where we were met by Robbie Moore and Henry Alexander. Other highlights from the week were talks by James Thompson (Dyson Farming), Professor David Hughes and AHDB. The Scholars then jetted to Brazil for the CSC and Post CSC Tours.
June proved the busiest month with shows / events, the GFP tour and the Next-Gen tour. The GFP was hosted by the West Midlands and Central Region and the Scholars were treated to many great visits, I would like to say a particular thanks to Hannah Batty and Liz Cresswell for pulling together such a good week. The Next-Gen Scholars also enjoyed their month long visit to Wales, Scotland and England, many hundreds of miles were covered and they visited over 28 dairy farms during the trip, often two a day. I look forward to hearing their presentation at the conference in Belfast.
As always I would like to thank the Region and Study groups, there have been many great events this year and I really appreciated all of the hard work that goes into each and every one. I particularly enjoyed the Northern Farm walk to Robert Craig’s farm, we were joined by 8 potentials as well as many familiar faces. The sun shone and the BBQ was expertly cooked by Jimmy Stobart.
Health and Safety continued to be a key focus areas for all events this year; we ensured there was a risk assessment and copies of public liability insurance for each event. This is something that we will of course be repeating in future years for all Nuffield events.
I am sure we can expect an equally busy 2025 and I am looking forward to the NextGen expanding and supporting the younger Scholars through their journey and of course working with both the new 2025 Scholars and our current Scholars who will be presenting in Aberdeen next November.
EXPANDING OUR REACH
KENDRA HALL NSch & FRANKIE HARDING-MACDUFF: REVERBERATE PR
Another busy year for Nuffield Farming communications with a wide range of activities taking place to bring Nuffield’s work to new audiences.
The 2023 ‘Super Conference’ in Exeter saw more than 30 Scholars present their Scholarship findings. With an exciting range of topics discussed, the conference received widespread media coverage, most notably in Farmers Guardian, Farmers Weekly and South West Farmer.
Nuffield has also enjoyed extensive media coverage over the last year, including Scholars featuring in pieces by BBC Radio Wales, Direct Driller, and ‘Crop It Like It’s Hot’ podcast. In the last year, we have had numerous Scholar reports published. These report announcements alone received over 40 pieces of media coverage in a broad range of publications.
The ongoing Direct Driller Nuffield Farming column continues, with Harry Barnett NSch 2023, Stephen Briggs NSch 2011, Ben Hunt NSch 2022, and Andrew Sincock NSch 2023 all contributing articles about their studies and expertise
Our partnership with The Farming Forum continues to promote Scholar reports on the biggest agricultural website in the UK with 45,000 active members. Since the start of
this partnership, more than 3,400 Nuffield Farming reports have been downloaded via The Farming Forum website with nearly 15,000 views on the site
Our growing reach is also reflected on social media - Nuffield Farming gained more than 2,000 new LinkedIn followers in the last year and our Instagram reach has increased by 79%!
This year saw the launch of our podcast series ‘Tales of a Nuffield Scholar’, hosted by Wallace Currie 2024 NSch and sponsored by Howden Rural. With podcasts proving ever popular, this has given Nuffield Farming a new platform to share more in-depth stories about our Scholars. So far, we have featured a range of guests including 1973 Scholar Ian Howie, 1974 Scholar Brian Shaw, and Heather Gorringe 2007 Scholar. If you haven’t already, make sure you give it a listen.
Nuffield PodcastsListen here!
Our new Nuffield Farming Next-Gen Scholarship aims to develop young talent and introduce Nuffield to a younger audience. After a successful launch and pilot in Northern Ireland this year, the programme will be expanded in 2025. Watch this space!
RASE BITESIZE GUIDE
Earlier this year Nuffield Farming partnered with RASE (Royal Agricultural Society of England) to produce a bitesize guide on Nutrients & Water. The guide focuses on the opportunities to turn potential pollution into resource efficiencies and highlights the practical actions that can be taken on-farm. It includes insights from nine Nuffield Farming reports and aims to bring the report findings to a wider audience in an easy to digest format.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE GUIDE HERE
BELFAST 2024
As we look forward to the Nuffield Farming Conference returning to Northern Ireland this year, we have been working hard alongside the organising committee to promote the conference in the local press and build excitement in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In line with previous years, we have also secured a media partnership with Farmers Guardian to ensure the event receives the attention it deserves.
A year in numbers…
2,000 new LinkedIn followers
79% increase in Instagram reach
74,000 people reached on Facebook
1,100 hours watched on YouTube
13,000+ followers on X
A FRIEND OF NUFFIELD FARMING
PROUD SUPPORTERS
Mercer Farming, through the Mercer Family Charitable Foundation, is proud to support the Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust
FOUR GENERATIONS OF FAMILY FARMING
The Mercer family are fourth generation farmers, and believe in farming in a way that increases regeneration and biodiversity having a positive impact on the land and on the animals.
Packington pigs and chickens are given large, green and lush pastures to roam, and time to mature. This is not only best for the animals’ welfare, but it also results in first class meat. A fact recognised not only by their customers and numerous industry awards but also by celebrity chefs.
Packington Free Range is a leader when it comes to f range meat and ethical farming. Their chicken and po products can be found in butchers and farm shops nationwide, as well as via Ocado and their own websi where they deliver chicken all year round as well as fr range cockerels at Christmas.
BECKETT GROUP GROUP
The Beckett Group’s 2024 annual meeting took place in September. It was hosted by Emily Aitchison (nee McVeigh) in Suffolk. Many of the attending Scholar’s enjoyed staying on Emily’s glamping site.
On Saturday the group went on a farm tour trailer around Emily’s family farm. The McVeigh family have been farming Kenton Hall Farm for 40 years. Emily’s parents, David and Sharon, had made many improvements to the farm over the years, restoring the house, adding farm buildings including a round house for their English Longhorn herd.
The tour took the group to the arable fields where they met Emily’s brother, Tom McVeigh, who is taking the farm in a new direction, moving from monoculture to permaculture and polyculture and trialling, as part of the SFI scheme, a farming system on a 30 acre field, strip-farming different crops in rows alongside agroforestry (nut trees) and min-till with a goal is to develop a market for the nuts. Tom aims to use nature to combat pests and diseases and increase productivity without relying on sprays.
The group were then taken to Emily’s cookery school based on the farm. As well as the cookery school there is a butchery which is currently let out. The school has a partnership with Miele and can accommodate 12 people on a course. They run courses to suit all levels of skills and offer a wide range of classes. She also showed the group an area for ‘outside’ cooking classes and is a Weber Grill Academy. Duke of Edinburgh residential weeks are also on offer combining the facilities of the glamping site and the school.
Later, the group headed to Monewden Hall where Emily and her husband Alexander run a business called ACRE Farm. They have a bakery specialising in sourdough bread. Alexander previously had a career as a chef and started the bakery in 2022. Their oven is wood fuelled using wood available on the farm.The bread is sold locally via a WhatsApp group and website and they supply some local cafes. Their bakery was featured on Rick Steins Food Stories earlier in the year.
The group were taken to see Alexander and Emily’s vineyard, a new project on the farm.
They have planted 11 hectares with 45,000 vines including varieties such as Pinot Noir. Buffer strips are planted with native trees and under sown with pollinators. The grapes are grown for Hattingley Valley, but they hope to make an ACRE farm rose in the future. The vines were growing well and it will take around 3 years before they have their first grapes. They contract farm the rest of the land with a local farmer who has introduced Hereford cattle into the rotation system as well as herbal leys. A Woodland Trust grant has enabled them to introduce agroforestry, planting 2,500 trees.
The group returned to the cookery school to cook tapas for their dinner
The three business groups met this year courtesy of Chris Newenham and Tiptree Jams (NBG1), Kate Moore and whole family (as we took over their house - NBG3), and Rob and Sarah Thornhill in the glorious Peak District (NBG2).
My co-facilitator, Ian Tremain, and I sat through over fifty presentations ranging from business dilemmas to family dramas. As always, we were both amazed by the degree of commitment, effort and sacrifice all to uncertain outcomes. Alan Beckett who for many years guided NBG1 had an expression –‘they could push water uphill’; I know what he means. Bold plans that I could dissect with any number of reasons for failing, seem to succeed due to the Nuffield Scholar pushing them. That said, the setbacks are often painful and there is no better support than that which comes from those who have been
SOUTH WEST REGION
there. You very rarely find wisdom without the scars, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather spend my time with.
Matt Swain
NBG2–OntheRidge
In my first year as Chair and with a new committee, the South West group held a wonderful farm walk kindly hosted by Neil Macdonald NSch at Orchard Park Farm in Somerset. Neil shared details about the business and its many diversifications, including a large focus on biodiversity projects, new woodland planting, and, of course, cider making. Group members were able to taste some outstanding and varied ciders, enjoy wood fired pizza, and visit with both fellow Scholars and a few potential applicants.
My heartfelt gratitude to Neil for his support and enthusiasm for this event. It was a great evening catching up with old friends and seeing new faces, and we are looking forward to holding another soon.
We also had a small presence at a few of the regional shows and are exploring how we can better capitalise on local events to recruit new applicants and create opportunities for the region to re-connect.
The South West is very proud to have had three Scholars present their findings at our home conference in Exeter last year, with a further eight Scholars currently traveling for their studies. And with 12 more applications for 2025 Scholarships from the region this year, I look forward to welcoming many more into the fold at the Nuffield Farming Conference in Belfast!
Kendra Hall
WELSH REGION
We have an outstanding crop of travelling Welsh scholars this year and wish to offer our congratulations to them all for taking on such challenging and important topics.
Of the 23 travelling scholars we have 4 from within our region (and we may try to claim the Welsh heritage of another too!). I believe this to be legacy from Wales hosting such an exceptional conference in Cardiff, and thanks must go once again to the organising committee for the champion job they did, or perhaps it’s a result of Nuffield having a proud Welshman in the Chair. Applications this year were also strong (judging by the mock interviews) so we hope to have further representation from Wales in 2025.
NFST Cymru group met once again in the Royal Welsh show, supported by the RWAS who provided us the fantastic location in the international pavilion, where we could enjoy the Welsh sunshine on the balcony overlooking the crowds coming together to celebrate Welsh Agriculture. We must extend thanks to AHDB who sponsored refreshments The reception had an international flavour, attended by farmers from as far afield as Australia. We had some Nuffield organisational updates which was very valued, especially by those who may have missed the odd annual conference. We
introduced some of our travelling scholars who were able to describe the experience and learnings from the recent CSC they attended in Brazil, led by Dan Jones, who is currently travelling on his Global Focus Trip. Their enthusiasm is as always infectious and we all left feeling quite energised. As any Nuffield event is, this is a fantastic networking event, and we are honoured to host guests from so far afield who consider the Nuffield Cymru Royal Welsh reception a ‘must not miss’ event as well as a more local crowd. We hope to see you there next year, and we are working on organising some on farm visits in the coming months
Anna Bowen (our Welsh group treasurer) currently sits as a returning scholar trustee and leads on report editing which she says she is enjoying. She says ‘Being a trustee is an excellent opportunity to give back to Nuffield. This has been my first charity role and has been a great opportunity to learn more about how charities are run, regulated and to see Nuffield from the ‘other side’ to being a scholar.’
This year despite the often-challenging weather we have run two successful events across the northern region kicking off in June with a farm walk and BBQ in Cumbria kindly hosted by 2013 Nuffield Scholar Robert Craig.
We had a great turnout at the event where we walked round the dairy unit, seeing a fantastic herd of crossbred cows and followed by a BBQ cooked by 2020 scholar Jimmy Stobart. Big thanks to Robert and his team for hosting us and sponsoring the evening, and Jimmy for cooking for us; as ever it was great to catch up with alumni and welcome potential scholars who made up over half of the group that night.
July saw us at our annual event at the 165th Great Yorkshire Show where we were kindly hosted by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society in the Innovation Stand area, where we had a panel discussion between Neil Perkins (2018) and Tom Scrope (2024 scholar) and Future Farmers Chair Nick Grayson. Thank you again to the Yorkshire Agriculture Society and Future Farmers for their ongoing support and help across the region.
I was delighted as ever to be involved with mentoring and supporting potential applicants
WEST
across the northern region during the application window working closely with Charlotte Merson, and I hope we are reading this update in the Annual Report, that have a group of successful northern scholars in Belfast!
Plans are underway for further events in the northwest, Yorkshire and the northeast for 2025, but please do make contact if you have any ideas or want to get involved or help organise an event
Jo Speed
MIDLANDS REGION
The West Midland branch has been active this year with a couple of events and a push to set up future structures and, of course, more events.
Last Autumn, The Warwickshire Rural Hub and the Kenilworth Agricultural Society joined with us to put on a night of talks by scholars. I must extend my thanks to Ed Barnston (2019 NSch) and Andrew Williamson (2013 NSch) for travelling down (and across) to speak. Ed and Andrew were fantastic ambassadors for Nuffield, entertaining the audience with their Nuffield stories – the highs as well as the lows. Ed talked about Estate management and the idea of the Triple Bottom Line of people, planet and profit. Andrew spoke about precision Farming, and how it was being applied around the world and how he was applying it at his own farm.
Unfortunately our Farm walk hosted by Emily Padfield (2023 NSch) had to be cancelled due to illness, we hope to rearrange.
Ed Barnston and Charlie Steer, both 2019 Scholars, hosted a GFP group and opened the event up to all, which resulted in a number of former scholars and potential scholars joining in the Farm walk. The attendees were able to two first class estates up close, and their many diversify businesses.
I should also express my thanks to Ed Barnston for his efforts as vice chair this year and to all others who have helped this year. We hope to have another busy year in 2025.
Rob Burtonshaw
REGEN GROUP
Emerging during Covid the Regen Group has mostly had an online presence over the last couple of years, with some successful online meetings and engaging WhatsApp discussions. Including discussing the merits of using biochar on a farm in Grand Cayman, no study tour yet though!
Many of us enjoyed some informal refreshments at Groundswell where Tim May and Oliver Chedgey put on a mouthwatering spread in the form of The Roaming Smoker. It was a great opportunity to cool down and catch up after a fantastic first day at Groundswell.
After getting the group off to a flying start Tom Chapman has handed over the reins to Toby Simpson and Lucy MacLennan who are planning to grow the group and arrange some visits over the next year. There is a huge wealth of Nuffield experience in the regen space and therefore a great opportunity for the Regen Group to flourish.
PIGS GROUP
If anyone would like to join the group or if any current members aren’t in the WhatsApp group and want to be please email toby_ simpson@ymail.com.
Toby Simpson
This year the Nuffield Pig group has looked to build on last year’s successful meeting at Uncle Henry’s in Lincolnshire and took the group to see the Leeds University Pig farm and discuss ‘Feed for the Future’.
With feed costs making up ~70% of the pork industry production costs, feed must be a focus for a profitable and sustainable business. This year’s Autumn meeting looked to understand what farmers could do to manage this risk and had a look at some home-grown alternatives to Soya- Insects!
As ever, pig farming is a challenging business, and we continue to look to provide thoughtful discussion and support to Nuffielders and the wider community. If you know someone who would benefit from joining, please feel free to share my number below.
The other focus of the Pig group is to share the Nuffield message and gain more Pig Nuffield Scholars! We strongly believe that pig farming needs to stay in the UK and grow within the Nuffield alumni. Nuffield Scholars are well placed to help each other and to inform policy makers to drive positive change for British farmers�
If you are interested in joining the Pig Group, please forward your contact details to Charlotte (Nuffield Office) or Heidi Hall (details below) so that you can be added to our mailing list. If you could also provide a mobile number that would be great as we hope to set up a Pig WhatsApp Group to try and improve ease of communication.
Heidi Hall heidi.hall@anpario.com
DAIRY GROUP GROUP REPORTS
Nuffield Dairy Study Tour: North Wales and Cheshire 17th – 19th June
After a very cold and wet spring across the UK, the sun shone for 3 glorious days on the annual dairy study tour, which took place in North Wales and Cheshire. This year’s organisers, Alun Owen and Richard Thomas treated past, present and prospective scholars, to a fantastic range of very informative and interesting visits Thanks must also go to Tony Evans, for all his behind the scenes work and to all our hosts, for their honesty and hospitality.
We were also honoured this year, to have the three inaugural “Next Gen Dairy Scholars” from Northern Ireland join us on tour as part of their 4 week programme, studying dairy businesses across the mainland UK. They were Bronagh Dempster, Kirsten Henry and Ewan McCracken and they certainly brought some youthfulness and positivity to the group!
The tour kicked off with a fascinating visit to Maurice and Fraser Jones, Welshpool where we got an insight into dairying on a massive scale, whilst still positively integrating with the community. Another visit was to the farm of Morgan Tudor from Llanerfyl near Welshpool. He inspired the group as a recent new entrant to dairying, doing a superb job in challenging conditions, following the tragic death of his father Richard (2017 NSch).
Dafydd Evans, Denbeigh, told us all about his journey as a vet in local practice to taking over the 450 cow home farm and transitioning it from all year round calving to a 12 week autumn block. Much discussion focused on the importance of succession planning and one group summed it up with “fair is not equal and equal is not fair”.
The importance of a work/ life balance was the theme of the visit to David Williams farm near Mould. 260 spring calving cows on once a day milking, due to a busy main road splitting the grazing block.
In the evening Hannah Batty (2023 NSch) kindly hosted us at her home for a BBQ, where it gave everyone a chance to meet with
international scholars taking part in the Global Focus Programme.
The final day of the tour was spent in Cheshire on the 3500 acre Tollemache Estate. Peter Bull is the retiring farm manager of the only farm that is farmed in hand by the estate – 330 organic autumn block calving cows. This is now being taken on by 1st generation dairy farmers Matt and Carmen Hill on a contract farming agreement
Next door to Matt and Carmen Paul Billington was successful in securing a 25 year FBT on a 437acre, ring fenced dairy unit on the estate. His tenancy commenced in 2021 and the group were certainly envious of this excellent block of land, that he has now completely reseeded and established new roadways and milking parlour.
Planning is currently underway for the 2025 tour to Normandy, France and rumour has it, may include a history tour to the D-Day landings beaches. This will take place in midJune. New faces are always welcome!
Trevor Alcorn
CENTRAL REGION
The Central Region has usually held a farm walk where potential scholars can enjoy a visit but also learn more about Nuffield Scholarships. This year was no different except that we were delighted to be able to host ten Global Focus Programme Scholars at the same event.
This meant there was a real opportunity to get a feel for the internation nature of what Nuffield has to offer. Central Region Chair, Chris Padfield, hosted a visit on his family farm (measured in acres not hectares to make it sound bigger to the Australians) along with many Scholars, potential Scholars and the Central Region Farmers Trust (who are proud sponsors of Nuffield scholars from this region).
With participants from Australia, the US, Brazil and New Zealand there was a wide and varied discussion over a delicious lunch by Chris’s partner, Holly. As always it is interesting to hear perceptions on the UK agricultural industry from other countries and hear about what is happening overseas The weather held fair and allowed an unhurried walk around the variety of enterprises on Chris’s farm and hear an unvarnished view of how the farm business has grown and continues to evolve. With thanks to Liz Cresswell (2022) and Lizzie Carr Archer (2020) for organising the GFPs experience of the region and their follow-on visits to the RAU and Millets Farm.
In early September Savills are kindly hosting the Central Region on their stand for breakfast at Moreton Show with Liz Cresswell (2022) and Will Brown (2023) providing insight into their Nuffield experiences. Again
ANGLIAN REGION
we hope this will allow potential scholars to learn more. We plan to have a presence at the Three Counties Show for 2025
We are looking forward to our first in person mock interviews since covid with four applicants through to the interview stage.
Vicky Robinson
I’m delighted to say that Teresa Meadows (2020) is taking over from me as Chair of Anglia Region. She is supported by Emily Aitchison (2021) and a strong and enthusiastic committee and I know she is really looking forward to the challenge of leading the region.
We have recently completed the mock interviews with the potential Nuffield scholars from the region, and I would like to thank Teresa, Emily, Mike Mack and Jamie Stokes as well as Andrew Scoley from East Midlands Region for their help with this. It is a tremendously inspiring afternoon, with very high quality candidates and we look forward to hearing who has been successful in the real thing.
Here’s wishing Teresa and her team the best of luck in 2025 and look out for events next year! Please contact Teresa (teresa_ meadows@yahoo.co.uk) if you would like to be included.
Tom Chapman Outgoing Anglia Chair
REPUTATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH GROUP
Since announcing the start of an educational programme about diversity and inclusion targeted at the farming industry, the Reputation & Public Outreach group has been hard at work bringing this vision to life ahead of the official launch in October 2024. We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished with the support of so many, including Nuffield trustees and staff, our alpha- and beta-testers, and the project’s sponsors: McDonald’s, The School of Sustainable Food & Farming at Harper Adams University, AHDB and the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust.
You might recall from the Nuffield Farming Report of Navaratnam Partheeban OBE NSch that agriculture is one of the least diverse industries in the United Kingdom, including ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation. This presents a series of challenges for the industry, most notably when it comes to recruitment and relations with the wider public.
Making UK agriculture more diverse and inclusive offers a range of benefits: a wider pool for recruitment with increased retention; better social and economic resilience from diversity of ideas and experience; and meaningful connections with our endcustomer (among many others!).
A key barrier is a lack of confidence in how to relate to and communicate with people from different backgrounds. Another is reduced access to networks for provide people from underrepresented groups that can provide them with the practical experience and mentorship they need to succeed.
‘AgDiversity’, as it is now called, aims to address both of these barriers. The course aims to increase participants’ knowledge about diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as how these relate to agriculture.
The purpose of AgDiversity is to increase awareness of these issues and their importance within our industry, and in turn give people greater understanding and confidence around these topics.
Additionally, the training will be accompanied by the AgDiversity register, to which course participants have the option to add their details. The register will act as a resource for those interested in experience or jobs in the industry, making it easier to find businesses and people committed to helping those from under-represented backgrounds.
An hour-long online training module, AgDiversity has been developed with the support of a specialist consultancy and tailored for UK agriculture. We are especially proud as we believe it is the first ever diversity training module available industry-wide, and believe it will help those in food, farming, horticulture and rural industries to educate and empower themselves to address this pressing challenge.
We are especially appreciative of the support from the Nuffield Farming trustees, chair, vice-chair, director and Lindsay Woods – this has enabled a small group of determined Scholars to take real, demonstrative action and truly live Nuffield Farming’s mission of “Leading Positive Change in Agriculture”.
Moving forward, AgDiversity will be hosted on the Nuffield Farming website, with all costs covered through generous funding from McDonald’s, the School of Sustainable Food & Farming at Harper Adams University, AHDB and the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust. If you are interested in learning more, please visit www.nuffieldscholar.org/agdiversity.
PEOPLE GROUP
Reflecting on Our First Events and Planning Ahead
The People Group, a recent addition to the Nuffield Farming Groups, has begun its journey this year. Focused on the human side of agriculture, our group aims to explore and enhance skills related to leadership, communication, team dynamics, and personal development. By bringing together Nuffield Scholars who are passionate about people, we provide a platform for shared learning, insightful discussions, and valuable connections.
Our journey began in May with our first evening event, which set a positive tone for the group. The event was filled with engaging conversation and a great sense of energy— exactly what you’d expect when a group of Nuffield Scholars comes together. The aim of this initial gathering was to assess interest in forming the People Group and to decide, as a community, on our next steps. The strong turnout and enthusiastic feedback helped us shape a compelling winter program.
Based on the feedback and suggestions from our first event, we have put together a comprehensive winter program This series of five evening events, running from November through March, features world-class trainers who will challenge and intrigue our members. We believe in the importance of learning from diverse perspectives, and these events are designed to bring fresh insights and skills from outside our usual circles.
Our winter events are all scheduled at the Crown & Cushion in Welburn, Malton, North Yorkshire, from 18:30 to 21:30. John Borland will lead all the events except for the one in February, which will be led by Jo Speed. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming up:
- 4th November: “Understanding Your Team and Yourself Better” Dive into the psychology of people, helping you understand both your team and yourself on a deeper level.
- 2nd December: “How to Make Difficult Conversations a Little Less Difficult” Learn strategies to navigate challenging conversations with confidence and empathy.
- 13th January: “How to Create and Tell Captivating Business Stories” Discover the art of storytelling to enhance your communication and engage your audience effectively.
- 10th February: “NLP Strategies for Personal Growth and Business Success” Explore Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), offering strategies for achieving personal and business growth.
- 10th March: “How to Set and Achieve Healthy Goals” Focus on practical techniques for setting and reaching goals that promote well-being and success.
We encourage all Nuffield Scholars to join us for these engaging events. Spaces are limited to ensure a quality experience. Please email charlotte@nuffieldscholar.org to book your place.
The People Group is more than just a series of events; it’s a community of like-minded individuals eager to learn, grow, and support each other. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming sessions and look forward to the exciting journey ahead!
Helen Wyman
EAST MIDLANDS REGION
We held our farm walk at Houghton Lodge this year, which was hosted by Vice Chair Tom Rawson. We had 22 people attended with a mix of new, potential and older Scholars. Tom introduced us to Henry Spellman, his farm manager. It was great to see the passion, enthusiasm and professionalism from all the young team at Houghton Lodge. We were pleased to have the new Next Gen Scholars join us and this made for a very interesting debate. David Gardner Trustee also joined us and gave us an insight into what the farm was 10 years ago when he managed it as part of a arable enterprise for CO-OP Farms. The farms changed considerably now all down to lush pasture. It was also really good to see John Stones 1988 NSch and previous director attend, his input was greatly appreciated.
Amy Stoner 2024 NSch gave an insight into her studies encouraging many of the younger people attending to want to apply for a Nuffield. The evening was completed with food and drink at the wonderful local pub.
Going forward Andrew Scoley and myself are now handing over to a younger team who we hope will develop the regional group in the future. If you are able to help and you want and be involved please email James MacCartney jamesmaccartney@gmail.com, Alice Jones Alice.Jones@nottingham.ac.uk or Amy Stoner amy.stoner2@btinternet.com
David Rose
NORTHERN IRELAND REGION
The Northern Ireland Group looks forward to welcoming you to the 2024 Nuffield Farming Conference in Belfast. In October 2023 a launch event was held for conference in AFBI Hillsborough to which a range of industry leaders and key stakeholder were invited. At the conference launch, three Nuffield Scholars from the recent and not so recent past spoke about their Nuffield experiences.
In April Northern Ireland hosted its first ever Global Focus Programme group. In addition to a welcome evening in Belfast City Centre the group also visited AFBI, Hillsborough, Fane Valley Co-op, and the farms of Campbell Tweed, Glenarm and Prof. John Gilliland’s Estate near Londonderry. The highlight of the visit was a tour and dinner with industry leaders at Parliament Buildings, Stormont. This was kindly hosted by Tom Elliot MLA (who has since been awarded a life peerage).
In May the group held its annual reception in the President’s Pavilion at the Balmoral Show courtesy of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society. The guest speakers were Scholars Barbara Bray and Cormac White. The
reception also provided an opportunity to formally award the three inaugural Next Generation Scholars.
Jason Rankin
SCOTTISH REGION
Nuffield Scotland winter meeting in Edinburgh encompassed lunch, with a catch up from current Scholars reporting on visits to the soya fields of Brazil, droughted forests of Spain and solar farms of Western Australia. A brief video update from CSC in Brazil was followed by a significant rugby international on the big screen. Fortunately, the camaraderie and some great discussion meant no-one can remember the score.
More travelling-scholar’s stories were the highlight of the Friday evening reception at the Highland Show, courtesy of the very generous hospitality of M&S.
Our summer tour to the West Coast explored how aquaculture and tourism have kept farming families in some of Scotland’s more remote, precarious and beautiful areas. We went to cast our nets into the cutting-edge research involved in Salmon farming, pulling in a good catch of cleaner-fish, wasterecycling, remote sensing and automation. But we also landed the story of how the £600 million Scottish salmon industry has evolved from nowhere in the last 50 years, and how a Nuffield Scholarship was instrumental in its development.
Another Nuffield Scholarship legacy was apparent when our next host told us how her grandfather’s scholarship had ignited a passion for sharing the story and heritage of the Blackface hill sheep flock. Three generations on, the occasional farm tours have developed into a thriving agritourism business at Lennox of Lomond.
Next spring the Nuffield Scotland Group is joining forces with the Nuffield Poultry Group for a grand tour in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire. Based in Craigellachie, on the Whisky Trail, a tour will take place from the 15th - 18th May 2025. A fantastic itinerary is coming together and will feature a ‘Whisky Day’, incorporating all stages of the Whisky journey from farm to bottle, a visit to
Lower Mill of Tynet Farm hosted by Gordon Whiteford NSch 2015 and a Ceilidh. Further visits are planned and more details will follow. Look forward to seeing you there!
We kicked off 2024 with our Spring Dinner at The Farmers Club on Tuesday, 19th March. The evening featured a stimulating discussion led by Sir Robert Goodwill, Chair of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee (Defra). The event was, as always, wellattended, including four prospective scholars. Unfortunately, we must report that there are no new poultry scholars for 2024.The discussion was lively, with a particularly engaging Q&A session.
In April, we held our Spring Weekend, hosted by our esteemed poultry scholar Stephen Fell and his wife Dorothy. The weekend began in East Yorkshire, with a fascinating focus on turf—not just any turf, but a variety of specialised types, including wildflower meadow turf, film set turf, green carpet turf, and even “piddle turf”! This incredible enterprise was in preparation for the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.
From East Yorkshire, we journeyed to Northumberland for an insightful day at College Estate, hosted by Stephen and Dorothy’s son, Louis Fell. Despite the blustery weather, we were inspired by the conservation efforts in this remote and beautiful part of England.
Our AGM took place at Doxford Hall, where we extended heartfelt thanks to our retiring Chairman, Mike Tyres, and Secretary, Simon Carlton. Their successors, Karen Campbell and Sylwia Sobolewska, were warmly welcomed.
Autumn 2024 brought the Netherlands NL2024 trip, expertly organized by Steve Prichard. We convened in Maastricht and explored exciting new developments in the poultry industry, including ovo-sexing, genetic improvements, feed innovations, advanced lighting systems, and preventative health regimes. We also delved into the consequences of diverging from industry consensus, a point well-articulated by Marcel the Farmer with his memorable phrase: “I am C, you’re a J!”
The NPSG extends special thanks to our sponsors, Hendrix Genetics and MSD, whose generous support helped make NL2024 a resounding success. Dutch agricultural businesses are heavily invested in research and development, and we had the opportunity to engage with livestock farmers facing
critical decisions about reducing emissions. Many are considering whether to accept the government’s incentive to cut Dutch emissions or transfer global emissions as they weigh the potential benefits of the “golden handshake” before the application deadline of 8th January 2025.
Sadly, we also reflect on the passing of two of our esteemed Nuffield Poultry Scholar stalwarts, Alan Becket and Sir John Campbell. Both men embraced their Nuffield opportunities and made lasting contributions to Nuffield Trust, farming, and food production. We extend our deepest condolences and respect to their loved ones.
We will conclude our 2024 activities at the Nuffield Conference in Belfast, where we eagerly anticipate the presentations from our poultry scholars.
Looking ahead to 2025, plans are already well underway. We will begin with our Spring Dinner, focusing on the current agri-political landscape. This will be followed by a first-ofits-kind event: a joint weekend in Speyside from 15th to 18th May 2025, bringing together Nuffield Scotland, Nuffield Poultry, and possibly Nuffield Golf for what promises to be an insightful and enjoyable fact-finding weekend
Karen Campbell
RECONNECTING OUR NUFFIELD ALUMNI
DAVID ROSE
As a Nuffield Trustee, I am excited to share the progress we’ve made recently in reconnecting our Nuffield alumni. Thanks to the incredible support of many volunteers, we now have year group coordinators reaching back to the 1982 Scholar group and I have had the great pleasure of getting in touch with those Scholars listed before 1982. If you haven’t heard from any one in your year group, please let me know.
We understand that earlier year groups may not have had the same opportunities to build ongoing relationships with each other as recent year groups do, but it’s up to us all to bridge that gap. Whether by email, text, phone, or even visiting in person, reaching out to the friends we made through Nuffield can be extremely rewarding.
While it’s not always easy, the effort is well worth it. Keeping in touch and supporting each other is more important than ever, sharing both the good times and the challenges. Sharing these stories helps us stay connected and improves communication, so everyone feels involved. Additionally, it’s a great way to reconnect old friends. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported this project so far. We are steadily receiving wonderful stories about how Nuffield continues to give back when you keep asking
I’m also pleased to share that this year’s Nuffield printed directory will again include those Scholars who have sadly passed away, thus, honouring their memory. We continually need your help to remember as many Scholars as possible, so if you know of anyone unwell or who has passed, please let us know.
We would also love to hear your personal stories. Whether they’re short or long, or simple moments that illustrate what Nuffield means to you, we want to know how your life has evolved.
A fantastic way to meet up with Nuffield friends is at regional shows and events, where you can also meet potential Scholars
and sponsors. If you know of any gatherings, please let the Nuffield office know, and we’ll do all we can to support these activities.
Lastly, Nuffield has launched a podcast series, ‘Tales of a Nuffield Scholar’, led by Wallace Currie 2024 NSch. Wallace is doing a wonderful job interviewing Scholars across all years. Recently, we’ve heard inspiring stories from those celebrating 50 years as a Scholar, and it’s been heartwarming to hear how recent Scholars have connected with those from earlier years. Special thanks to Howden Rural for supporting this project.
Thank you again for your participation in ‘all that is Nuffield’, as this is what makes this alumni network so strong, and I look forward to hearing more stories, reconnecting, and continuing to strengthen our community.
Warm regards
David Rose, Nuffield Trustee
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Tilhill Forestry has, over the last 75 years, planted more than 1 billion trees and has the greatest number of professionally qualified forest managers in the UK. People are our greatest asset and we take growing our people as seriously as we grow our trees.
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We offer an industry-leading graduate programme and actively encourage our staff to develop professional qualifications. It is a very exciting time to be a part of the forest industry, and Tilhill Forestry is a cutting-edge company, playing a significant role in the climate change aspirations.
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IN MEMORIAM
In memory of the Nuffield Farming Scholars that have passed this year. Our sincere condolences to all their family and friends.
In February, Alan Beckett MBE 1957 Nuffield Scholar and Scholar Sponsor died aged 93 years old. His Nuffield subject was herringbone parlours and when he returned from America, he famously sold the family’s dairy herd and went in for intensive egg production instead, which was new to the UK. Ultimately, he became the 5th largest producer in the country. Alan went on to be a Nuffield Selector for 9 years and through this experience decided to sponsor a scholarship himself. There are now 27 “Beckett” Scholars, all of whom he has personally mentored. Alan has been tremendously supportive of Nuffield events through the years, both in the UK and internationally.
In March, Iolo Owen MBE, a 1971 Nuffield Scholar died aged 92. Anglesey farmer Iolo Owen MBE developed The EasyCareTM Breed in the early 1960s by using predominantly Wiltshire Horns crossed with other breeds, notably the Nelson type of Welsh Mountain sheep. Iolo’s Nuffield Farming Scholarship study focused on ‘Grassland, sheep and wool’.
In April, David Donalson, a 1999 Nuffield Scholar. David was a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast. He was a dairy nutritionist, working independently when he was awarded his Scholarship. He went on to join AgriKing, an American based nutrition company, which had recently established in the UK and Ireland, and rose to be their Operations Director in Europe. He later worked as a principal consultant in dairy nutrition for The Dairy Group.
In May, Richard Matthews, a 1968 Nuffield Scholar. Richard travelled in the United States in 1968, researching particularly the Idaho potato as well as agricultural irrigation in Canada As a third generation farmer and having taken on the family farm at a young age, this opportunity to broaden his horizons was welcomed. He later joined the Selectors panel and was enthusiastically committed to the interviewing of potential scholars for some years.
In May, Dr Catherine Nakielny PhD, a 2011 Nuffield Scholar Catherine was a progressive and passionate sheep farmer and consultant. Her scholarship focussed on maximising returns through improved methane emissions in the sheep sector - a topic ahead of its time but as relevant today as it was on the day she published in 2012. Catherine was highly respected both academically and practically in the field of sheep genetics.
In August, Oliver Walston, a 1978 Nuffield Scholar. He was a well-known industry commentator having hosted ITV’s ‘Farming Diary’ for many years, recorded many interviews with BBC Radio 4’s ‘Farming Today’, written for Farmers Weekly and not forgetting his 1990’s TV program ‘Against the Grain’episode 4.
In September, Sir John Campbell OBE, a 1976 Scholar. John and Cathy established Glenrath Farms in 1959 and it continues to be a family owned business. It is now one of the UK’s leading egg production and marketing companies. In 2017, he was knighted for “services to farming and charitable service to entrepreneurship” and was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000 for “services to the Poultry Industry”. He was a passionate advocate for Nuffield Farming and gave his time graciously.
In September, Malcolm J. Isaac MBE FRagS MSc, a 1966 Scholar and Scholar Sponsor who died aged 95. Malcolm’s Nuffield study led him to introduce baby leaf salads to the UK market and start-up Vitacress Salads Ltd. In 1999 Malcolm was the first horticulturalist to be awarded the RASE National Agricultural Award. Then in 2003 he was awarded an MBE for services to the Fresh Produce Industry and to Horticultural Research. After the sale of Vitacress, Malcolm bought Exton Park Vineyard in 2009, and it became a real passion project. Malcolm believed that his Scholarship played an important part in his success and became a Scholar Sponsor in 2015. He has committed to provide funding in perpetuity for a Nuffield Farming horticultural scholarship.
BECOME A ‘FRIEND OF NUFFIELD FARMING’
As a charity organisation, the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust requires financial support, not just for our Scholarships, but also to deliver our Alumni programme and administrative function. Investing in Nuffield Farming delivers a lifetime of change for Scholars and ignites a spark for lifelong learning and benefit. The value of a Scholarship far exceeds the initial period of study, as many emerge as leaders and mentors for future generations. Your support can help to ensure that we are able to deliver this essential programme, improve our offerings and use our position to continue making a difference.
My Nuffield has really opened doors for me. Towards the end of my travelling, I started a company with the aim of reducing the need for antibiotics. We've inspired positive change in agriculture on over 1500 UK farms and, as of June 2020, are also now operating in Southern African countries. From concept to international business in 3 years… Thank you Nuffield!
Aled Rhys Davies NSch 2015
Our ‘Friend of Nuffield Farming’ package will help you deliver commercial and corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives and align your business or brand with one of the industry’s most highprofile organisations.
Our communications reach a large and influential audience of Scholars, industry leaders and media outlets through a variety of channels:
• E-Newsletter circulated to ~900 recipients
• 21,600 unique visitors to our website in 2020
• 15,500 followers across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube
This support package includes a range of benefits:
• Two tickets for each Nuffield Farming Annual Conference for the duration of your commitment, including all sessions over both days, the Annual Dinner and VVIP Reception and Lunch;
• Receipt of all electronic Newsletters and the Annual Reports
• Space for your one page advertisements in each Annual Report and a half page promotion in each Annual Conference programme;
• Access and networking opportunities for all Regional and Study Groups’ Events except those at which personal information is discussed;
• Display of your logo on the Nuffield Farming website along with links to your own;
• Messaging on behalf of your organisation through the electronic Newsletters and/or direct emails;
• Potential to display the Nuffield Farming logo on your own website;
• Potential for reciprocal benefits, for example, with assistance to senior management training.
Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust and our supporters are proud to have played a role in the careers of our Scholars and the change they bring to the industry.
For more information email rupert@nuffieldscholar.org
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED JOINING THE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT?
It has never been more important for those involved in farm management and food production to be able to demonstrate high standards of competence, integrity and ethics.
How do you do this in an industry that is so diverse and disparate? By joining an organisation which is committed to:
•Promoting high standards in the practice and management in agriculture
•Promoting training and CPD in all aspects of agricultural business management and creating a demonstrable career progression
•Encouraging the provision and attainment of professional qualifications
•Championing the achievements in high standards of agricultural practice
•Providing unique opportunities to network and share best practice.
That organisation is the Institute of Agricultural Management run by, and for, those committed to a vibrant, sustainable and socially-aware farming industry.
Membership is open to those involved in farm, land and rural environment management including farmers, farm managers, consultants, advisors, lecturers, researchers and students.
ACTIVITIES
• The opportunity to progress through a structured career programme
• Access to specially designed training programmes including the Leadership Development Programme and the Farm Management Skills Programme as well as an industry recognised Continuous Development Programme
• National events including a National Farm Walk and the prestigious National Farm Management Conference as well as our annual Question Time evening
• Regional branches organise a programme of meetings and events providing an excellent forum for networking and the exchange of ideas
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
• The opportunity to develop your skills and expertise to help develop your career
• A structured career progression
• The chance to meet regularly with likeminded people in the industry and build a diverse and varied network
• Involvement in a range of events
• Access to the International Journal of Agricultural Management
HOW TO COUNTERACT THE AGRONOMIC AND MARKET CHALLENGES FACING THE UK POTATO INDUSTRY
MCDONALD’S UK & IRELAND AND THE ROYAL NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION
HARRY BARNETT 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Rationalisation across the potato growing sector has occurred due to the macro risks of growing and marketing potato crops. The risk and reward ratio has been unbalanced and as a result has left potato farmers with a poor return on capital, with many exiting the industry. Potatoes are the fourth largest crop in the UK and have a value chain worth over five billion to the UK economy annually. Like other vegetable crops, UK production has been in decline for the last two decades. Consumption of whole potatoes has also been in decline per capita as people trade into alternative carbohydrates due to cultural and lifestyle changes. UK potato production has failed to adapt to changing eating habits and in comparison to other European nations, has a small potato processing sector. As a result of this, the UK imports close to one million tonnes of prepared potato products, mainly in the form of chips annually.
To coincide with a shrinking UK market, the agronomic challenges of growing potato crops also increased significantly at the turn of the millennium. Pest and disease pressures have become harder to overcome through revocation of plant protection products and the change in climate. As a result, many UK regions see yield debilitating problems such as potato cyst nematode and drought.
This study explored potato growing practices across Northern Europe and North America to understand how businesses are addressing the macro risks involved with production. Although the structure of the sectors is very different across the two continents, many businesses face similar challenges.
Successful potato producers in the future must firstly identify what their risks are and create strategies to manage them. To be successful, potato farmers will need to build relationships with customers to secure their end market, offering flexibility and aligning with their customer requirements. In turn, the UK sector must strive for greater self-sufficiency and put in greater measures that support the supply base. Ultimately, farmers will need to be paid fairly allowing sufficient margins that allow for reinvestment and sustainable profit.
In a changing climate, potato growing across the globe is going to become ever more challenging and farmers will need to adapt by protecting their soils through wider rotations and implement measures to manage water availability. This will come from efficient irrigation and drainage infrastructure, and greater capacity to utilise tighter weather windows to plant and harvest crops. Variety selection and breeding will play a crucial role in farmers remaining prosperous. Plant breeders must deliver to the marketplace modern varieties that look great, taste great and have strong agronomic traits that reduce growing risks. With these challenges in mind, opportunities will arise for the best UK producers who have the skillset to adapt.
Investing in more sustainable farming.
We source from over 23,000 British & Irish farmers and we’ve been able to invest millions to help set farms up for a more sustainable future. A little change to encourage a positive impact on British and Irish farming.
Change a little, change a lot ®
The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association aims to help educate young people and adults, by bringing people and businesses together through a range of inspiring events. Promoting a better understanding of food, farming & the countryside.
PEOPLE. PROCESSES. POTENTIAL: A BLUEPRINT FOR GREAT TEAM MANAGEMENT ON UK DAIRY FARMS
THE TREHANE TRUST
UK dairy farms and associated industries currently employ around 50,000 people. We are seeing significant challenges with labour as approximately 12.2% of dairy farms currently have a vacancy to fill. Huge advances have been made in recent years, to refine working practices and technology to improve dairy cow health, welfare and performance. However, it could be argued that the same amount of effort hasn’t been put into working out how to better manage, support and retain the people within our industry. The statistics tell us this needs to change.
Having well- motivated and well- integrated team members are key to great performance and recruitment can be a costly and time- consuming exercise. The purpose of this study was to find out how different businesses set their teams up for success.
Self- awareness is an essential skill for improved communication and team dynamics. Larger corporately structured businesses, such as Aurora Dairies in Australia, are utilising personality profiling to help their employees better understand themselves and the people they work with, creating more harmonious working relationships.
Look to any of the major businesses both within and outside of dairy farming and you will see a clear vision stated for both employees and onlookers. A clear vision acts as a “North Star” for team members reminding them why they are there. Seeing is believing.
Utilising protocols can be useful, however, we want to ensure team members become intrinsically motivated- led with heart and a desire to do a good job. This is critical in the biologically complex system that is a dairy farm. Understanding the desired outcome of a protocol allows employees to engage in the process and refine it. Connecting an individual’s daily tasks with the overall success of the business can create a better feeling of autonomy and impact. This can be done informally with regular check ins or more formally, by sharing performance data.
Resources such as the “Our farm, our plan” toolkit created by Dairy Australia can provide a framework for business owners and managers to work to. Self-assessment in key areas, such as the team, can highlight where efforts need to be channelled and help create a structured plan for improvement
Throughout the world labour is a precious resource, the importance of which was stated at almost all of the visits entailed in this study. However, team management solutions are not a one size fits all approach and do not just happen naturally. The solutions lie within the team and require effort and investment. Identifying how to utilise team members strengths, develop their weaknesses and engage them in the business goals is essential. All of this requires trust and communication. Taking the time to develop and support our people will ensure our dairy businesses reach their full potential.
HANNAH BATTY 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Dairy Industry Awards
An opportunity to develop your knowledge of the dairy industry, generate new ideas and share your findings.
The Trehane Trust offers annual awards, through participation in the Nuffield Farming Scholarship programme, to individuals who want to study and research a particular aspect of the dairy industry.
The remit is broad. Applicants are invited to study areas from milk production to processing and product development. It covers all related areas such as health and environmental concerns, consumer trends and marketing, and policies affecting the dairy chain.
More than 80 Scholars have benefited from Trehane scholarships. Their studies, which have been of great benefit to the individual and to the industry, have taken them across the world to North and South America, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Scandinavia.
Each Trehane Scholar is provided with travel and subsistence costs for eight weeks – undertaken in one block or as smaller blocks.
The closing date for applications is 31 July each year.
Successful candidates will normally be aged between 24 and 45 and living in the UK.
More information on the Trehane awards is available from Diana Allen, Trust Chair on 07971 119128 or diana@qnm.ltd.uk
Previous reports and application forms can be downloaded from the Nuffield website www.nuffieldscholar.org
BORN TO BE WILD? DOES THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF MARGINAL FARMING LIE IN THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF REWILDING?
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF FARMERS WITH SAVILLS
JIM BLISS 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Before I applied for my Nuffield Farming Scholarship I was working in Cumbria within the Lake District National Park. During this time I was witnessing two situations that motivated my application for a scholarship. Firstly, witnessing first hand the decline of biodiversity across both my immediate locality and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Secondly, at the same time as a biodiversity crisis, I believe we were and still are entering a farming crisis especially for those who farm in marginal areas, specifically the uplands. The question I wanted to address was: ‘Is there one solution to both the biodiversity and farming crisis?’
With the support of Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust, my lead sponsors, the Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills along with others including Rowse Honey, I embarked on a journey that would turn out to be not only enlightening for my study but life changing personally for myself as well. With the kind support of these organisations I was able to try to search for a solution to these two issues and if my outgoing idea of rewilding being the solution I envisioned�
For me rewilding is a term that can have a multitude of definitions, each with their own emotional response. However, from my perspective it is restoring natural processes at a landscape scale. With this definition in mind I wanted to visit designated rewilding sites but also farms and businesses not ‘rewilding’ but who were practicing non-conventional land management
During my 4 months of independent travels, I visited Germany, Denmark, Scotland, Netherlands, Chile, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania (Pemba island). These countries have varied climates, varied environments, varied cultures and varied agricultural systems.
However, the commonality between them, declining biodiversity and in large parts struggling agricultural sectors.
To give my topic greater focus, within the overall theme being rewilding, I wanted to split my attention to three fields, environmental, social and economic. While traveling to some of the most wild areas on earth within parts of Chilean Patagonia and during my African leg it became
clear that a large part of my study topic was the importance of society and social interaction; this was something I hadn’t fully appreciated before my study travels. The importance of our social pillar of sustainability is perhaps something that is regularly overlooked due to the dominance of most industries that focus on either environmental or economic factors.
What I found across all the various countries and projects that I visited was not exactly what my preconceived ideas were. No matter if I was visiting the Patagonia National Park or the smallest farmer on Pemba Island, something was constantly appearing; diversification was the key element for all projects that were achieving the three pillars of sustainability. Although some projects were not openly ‘rewilding’ they were still achieving my definition of working with natural processes. This led to product and income diversification, increased social cohesion both on and off farm but perhaps most excitingly this diversification was delivering environmental improvements
The Worshipful Company of Farmers is the City of London Livery Company dedicated to the positive promotion, better understanding, management and development of UK agriculture. Its principal charitable purpose is agricultural education, delivered through its portfolio of highly respected courses (below) and the provision of training grants, bursaries and educational awards to inspire, drive and recognise excellence.
Following the Grant of Livery in 1952 the Company has grown steadily in membership, stature and reach. Most of the Company’s 450odd Liverymen are actively involved in agriculture or the allied industries and professions. Working together, they deliver the strategic plan of the Company, whilst enjoying the fellowship and traditions of the 80th Livery Company of the City of London.
This includes a very full programme of events and activities, spanning everything from the Lord Mayor’s Show, The Annual Banquet, The Agricultural Lecture and Dinner, quarterly lunches where the emphasis is on fellowship but with the added benefit of interesting and thoughtprovoking speakers to the Lord Mayor’s Pancake Race in the Guildhall Yard.
Company teams take part in numerous InterLivery activities, including shooting, ski-ing and tennis competitions. It is a member of the InterLivery Food Group that jointly runs and promotes the annual City Food Lecture at the Guildhall, while its military affiliations demonstrate its close association with all 3 of the Services. The Company works closely with All the London City Farms, providing financial support and help ‘in kind’ to this important charity which
builds awareness and understanding of farming amongst a difficult-to-reach, inner-city audience.
Our industry-leading courses include: Advanced Course in Agricultural Business Management: A two-week, residential course designed to help delegates develop analytical techniques, management and leadership skills, as well as an understanding of the strategic issues and opportunities in their own businesses.
Challenge of Rural Leadership: This two-week residential course includes intensive discussion sessions, media training and exposure to world class speakers The aim is to develop the selfconfidence, business acumen, leadership and communication skills of the delegates.
Business Growth Programme: Designed specifically to help owner-managers, the Programme provides delegates with a unique opportunity to step back from the day-to-day demands of running their businesses to develop a comprehensive and robust strategy and a plan for the future.
Master of Business Administration: The Company supports both the one-year, full-time and the two-year, part-time MBA programmes at Cranfield.
For further details, see our website: farmerslivery.org.uk, or contact the Clerk: clerk@farmerslivery.org.uk
CREATING FORESTS THAT THRIVE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE: DROUGHT AND FIRE RESILIENCE
JOHN OLDACRE FOUNDATION
BYRON BRAITHWAITE 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
This report examines key areas for building resilience in UK forestry practices in the face of climate change. It focuses on drought tolerance and fire management strategies, as there is limited work underway to address these issues at this time.
Drought Resilience
While established practices for planting and cultivation remain important, renewed focus on optimising each stage can significantly improve survival rates. This includes improvements in packaging, cold dispatch, and planting during optimal periods based on plant type and site conditions
A critical factor for long-term resilience is tree breeding for drought tolerance and diversification of species. However, current funding for public and private breeding programs, particularly for native broadleaf trees, is insufficient. Implementing a levy on timber sales, similar to the French model, could provide a sustainable funding mechanism.
The fragmented ownership structure in the UK hinders large-scale data collection for genotype and site-specific planting assessment and learning. Again, funding will be a key constraint. Additionally, the Ecological Site Classification tool offers potential for data comparison and refinement at a less specific level.
Finally, the report explores the potential of mycorrhizal fungi to enhance nutrient and moisture uptake, potentially improving tree resilience.
Fire Management and Resilience
Public awareness and responsible behaviour are crucial for mitigating fire risk. Educational initiatives targeting children and outreach programs for outdoor enthusiasts are recommended. Utilising social media and digital channels can broaden the reach of fire safety messaging
Best practice documents for forestry work during high-risk periods, similar to those implemented in
New Zealand, should be adopted. This may involve temporary work stoppages in extreme conditions.
Due to a fragmented mixed land use environment, the risk of large-scale wildfires is lower in the UK compared to other regions of the world. However, targeted vegetation control in high-public use areas, around critical infrastructure, and near sensitive ecological areas remains critical. This report argues that controlled grazing, lowintensity fires, and mechanical methods can be effective tools for managing fuel loads without compromising biodiversity.
Recent changes to the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act and the Heather and Grass Burning Regulations (England) 2021 are commended for promoting responsible burning practices
In conclusion, this report emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement in traditional forestry practices, increased investment in tree breeding for drought tolerance, and proactive fire management strategies to ensure the long-term health and resilience of UK forests and our society as a whole.
JOHN OLDACRE FOUNDATION
A Nuffield Farming Scholarship, facilitated by the John Oldacre Foundation, has provided me with an incredible opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of my topic, as well as facilitating knowledge sharing with anyone interested in Forestry in the United Kingdom. Although this experience has been valuable as a means to explore my study area, it has provided me with so much more than this. It has been a challenge that has pushed me beyond my comfort zone to gain new skills and confidence.
My sincerest thanks to the John Oldacre Foundation for their support, I hope to repay their generosity by pursuing the recommendations in my report, as well as assisting other Nuffield Scholars and professionals as they aim to improve and develop themselves.
BYRON BRAITHWAITE
BIOCHAR USE IN AGRICULTURE: THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS
THE BECKETT AWARD
LUKE BREEDON 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Anthropogenic use of biochar can be dated back two millennia, however, only in the last couple of decades has significant research been undertaken to find out why, and whether the practice can bring benefits to modern day agriculture and other industries. It is estimated there are now more than 30,000 scientific publications on the topic with meta-analyses showing astounding results. Crop yield increases of 10-42%, increases in P availability by a factor of 4.6 and reduction in non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by 12-50% are just a few. These derive solely from the addition of biochar to soil, with many more potential uses showing equally impressive results. So why has the biochar industry not commercialised to the same degree? This report looks at the environmental and economic benefits and drawbacks of biochar and asks if these have contributed to its comparatively slow uptake. It has been understood for many years that producing biochar can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a practice that has now been proven essential for the globe to reach minimum warming and emissions net zero. It is estimated by the International Biochar Initiative that biochar production could be responsible for removing 6% of global emissions per year, with further savings from its cascade of uses. Only in the last few years has this had any financial reward attached to it with the adoption of voluntary carbon markets, now fuelling a growing production industry and alleviating somewhat the high price of the biochar product.
More and more farm scale trials are being conducted, with varying results. This has highlighted some of the key approaches towards biochar use; not all biochar is created equal and that there are certain scenarios where it will have the greatest impact. Farmers and growers must be increasingly aware of what it is they are using due to significant variations in feedstock, production parameters and inoculation as each could make or break a project. To make this worse, policy and guidance have not been developed in line with production, leaving potential users erring on the side of scepticism when considering projects.
On-farm production is on the rise however, as often feedstocks may be sourced on farm or locally and end use may be within animal, arable or grower sectors Here we can see increased economic benefits through heat or energy generation, as well as the ability to offset farmbased emissions and growing opportunities for carbon trading
Biochar should not be considered the “silver bullet” it once was, but a nature-based tool that through a considered approach can deliver economic benefits in the right scenario, and environmental benefits in almost every application.
The Beckett Award
30 years ago Alan Beckett foresaw that the future profitability of UK commodity agriculture was severely compromised and that bright young people who wanted to make a living in the countryside would have to do so in different ways in future. So he wanted to help such young people, keen to work hard and better themselves and think outside the box, to get on and do so; while at the same time caring for the countryside and keeping it prosperous and attractive.
As a result he established the Nuffield Beckett Scholarship. As a result he established the Nuffield Beckett Scholarship. The Beckett Award, which has now sponsored 27 Scholars, seeks to promote a thriving, caring and prosperous countryside which provides a living for all who wish to work there. For this we need progressive farmers as well as young entrepreneurs to develop small businesses to support the community.
FINDING SYNERGY BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL FARMING MODEL AND VERTICAL FARMS
CENTRAL REGION FARMERS TRUST & THE FOOD CHAIN SCHOLARSHIP
WILL BROWN 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Between 2016 and 2022, global annual growth in vertical farming was 25%. In early 2022 forecasters were projecting the market to grow from $5.8 billion, to $30 billion by 2030.
This project set out to assess the potential impact of a growing vertical farming sector on British Agriculture. 3 hypotheses were to be scrutinised:
1 Vertical farming is a viable means of food production
2 Vertical farming will present a diversification opportunity on existing farms
3. Synergies exist between vertical and traditional farming systems that could offer a competitive advantage
Simplistically, vertical farming is using technology to replicate the sun, wind and rain, creating an artificial growing environment. As electrical lighting is used, plants can be stacked in layers without shading, hence the term “vertical”.
By its nature, vertical farming is energy intensive. Since beginning this project in 2022 the sector has been severely impacted by the global energy crisis. Early adopters exposed their fragility to energy market volatility, and many have ultimately succumbed to pressures. Further, uncertain energy markets have caused external investors to reconsider the risks associated with the sector
Therefore, much discussion around the impact of vertical farming on traditional farming methods focussed on hypothesis one – is the system a viable means of producing food?
Several countries were visited between 202223, where businesses of all shapes and sizes demonstrated their unique interpretations of vertical farming. It was evident that food could be grown extremely efficiently, when compared to traditional outdoor systems, often with minimal human input. Most innovators were applying the kaizen approach to growth recipes, continuously tweaking formula and timings until conditions were infinitely optimised. Circularity with waste was also a common theme.
With the technology proven, the question turned to marketability. Four different applications for vertical farming were identified:
• Production of mainstream salad / herb crops
• Production of niche crops
• Community engagement / education
• Research and development
Mainstream crop production is considered high risk and therefore unlikely suitable for farm diversification. The large capital requirement, existing competition (from outdoor and indoor growers), and price sensitivity of the fresh produce sector are issues experienced by vertical farmers in all countries visited.
Finding an outlet for niche crops, that perform better when grown in a controlled environment, would be favourable to growing mainstream crops. Pre-determined distribution and restricted competition reduce the risk.
Farm businesses that are public facing could benefit from small scale, low cost, vertical farming. Multiple businesses visited were marketing the experience of the novel food system, opposed to being reliant on produce revenue. Controlling the farm on an iPhone with bright LED lights makes for a very instagramable story.
When considering the synergies between vertical and traditional farming systems, perhaps the most impactful prospect is research and development within vertical farms, to enhance conventional agriculture. Critics argue that research is flawed because growing in a controlled environment does not represent true conditions. However, having total control of variables, speeding up processes, and simulating changing conditions, could bring considerable value to agricultural research. Particularly as change becomes urgent as we adapt to the climate crisis.
Using vertical farming for research and development purposes could also open the door to more farmer led research. An area that would need further exploration...
CENTRAL REGION FARMERS TRUST Charity number 107943
THE TRUSTEES ARE PLEASED TO SUPPORT THE NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIP TRUST
CENTRAL REGION FARMERS TRUST
THE TRUST HAS SUPPORTED FIFTEEN SCHOLARS RECENTLY FROM ITS REGION OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE, WILTSHIRE, BERKSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE AND OXFORDSHIRE
Charity number 107943
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE SECRETARY
THE TRUSTEES ARE PLEASED TO SUPPORT THE NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIP TRUST
JANE CURRILL
30 LETCH HILL DRIVE, BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER, CHELTENHAM GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL54 2DQ
TEL: 07778 640537
E-MAIL: crfarmerstrust@gmail.com
THE TRUST HAS SUPPORTED THIRTEEN SCHOLARS RECENTLY FROM ITS REGION OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE, WILTSHIRE, BERKSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE AND OXFORDSHIRE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE SECRETARY JANE CURRILL
FOOD CHAIN SCHOLARSHIPS
Are supported by a trust fund established to encourage potential scholars to research opportunities and initiatives “beyond the farmgate”.
TEL: 07778 640537
E-MAIL: janecurrill160@btinternet.com
Whether it be reaching out directly to the consumer or working with others to exploit opportunities in the wider food chain there is much to be seen and learned by studying both in the UK and across the globe.
GATE TO GRID, A RESPONSIBLE MODEL FOR INTEGRATED ENERGY PRODUCTION
ELIZABETH
CREAK CHARITABLE TRUST
With the race on for net zero by 2050, agriculture must realise the potential of implementing renewable technologies if it is to stay relevant and operational. Modern society now relies heavily on readily available energy to eat, heat and power our day to day life. As a result, securing new green generation to feed this cycle is key to reaching future sustainability goals. We as farmers, mangers, and landowners are already in the business of energy production. We convert the elements of wind, sunlight and moisture into a calorie harvest such as grains, fruit, pulses, roots, and animal protein. Historically, horses were the solar powered engines. The oats and hay we grew using the sun’s energy was converted by Shire and Clydesdale horses to power machinery and work the lands. With increasing reliance on out sourced inputs, we have lost touch with this circular economy of farming and we need to re-envision this cycle for a sustainable farming future.
The production of a KW is similarly a conversion of the elements into a unit of energy.
The calorie output on farm is no different to the potential KW output on farm. Farmers are therefore ideally placed to lead innovation in this field; to not only feed the world but meet its power demands as well. I believe with the right industry leaders and governmental support; agriculture has huge potential to capitalise on the route to net zero. We need not just a five-to-ten-year plan but a one-hundred-totwo-hundred-year plan, with achievable and ambitious solutions to drive the industry forward to the 2050 targets set in the Paris Climate Agreement (UNCCC 2015).
It is the objective of this report to look into solutions that will bring benefit to the agricultural industry, highlighting benefits to farming systems across biodiversity, technology and profitability. For instance, looking into business risk mitigation linked to environmental changes will hopefully highlight sustainable solutions to help address climate goals.
Countries such as Australia balance on the edge of changing weather patterns. Extreme weather has become more frequent with high temperatures causing bushfires, increasing flood events and crop failures. It has therefore become essential for farmers to de risk their business against changing climates. The review of emerging technologies across Europe has proved valuable in highlighting opportunities to mitigate climate risk in business.
In particular, on farm electricity production can stabilise the price and supply of energy. Where looking at Agrivoltaics (AV), shading and subsequent moisture retention can be utilised in farming systems to safe guard from future changes in climate. The upgrade of the countryside’s connectivity and electrification will allow monitoring technologies and robotics to develop and become more common place. Farmers must therefore integrate energy assets on a per hectare basis allowing these new technologies to flourish. In the future finding the correct balance of food, power and biodiversity will create the right environment for technologies to be embraced, enabling a leap forward in farming production and opening the gates for the next agricultural revolution.
THOMAS CLARK 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Elizabeth Creak was born in Slough in 1926. She attended McGill University in Canada before working for Allen Lane at Penguin Books in both the UK and latterly America, where she helped to establish their new venture. She returned to the UK to eventually work with her uncle, Clyde Higgs, who by then had built up a thriving two thousand acre dairy farm in Warwickshire. Prior to this, Clyde had also developed a four thousand acre farm in the foothills of Mount Kilamanjaro and held a number of other positions including: Managing Director of English Farms in Wiltshire; Agricultural correspondent of the BBC and Council Member of the Royal Agricultural Society. Clyde was a highly innovative and enterprising farmer who was well known for challenging the status quo and cross-fertilizing best practices among farmers in the UK and around the world. His practical approach and constant quest for efficiency, gained at the family’s electric motor business, helped him to significantly increase output across his farms. He clearly recognized a similar passion and ability in Elizabeth and mentored her to become his successor.
In 1963 Elizabeth inherited Clyde’s farm in Warwickshire and ran it with great success for a number of years. She was a highly capable and well respected farmer and brought many creative ideas to the world of farming. She eventually sold the bulk of the business, but maintained a substantial acreage around Stratford. Elizabeth’s business acumen, determination and integrity were the reasons she was invited on to the boards of many local charitable organizations including the Royal Agricultural Society, the Stoneleigh Abbey Trust and the Stratford Society. She was the first female chairman of the Warwickshire branch of the NFU and in 1998 she became the first woman to hold the office of High Sheriff of Warwickshire. She was also a keen supporter of local craftsmen, artists and the theatre.
Elizabeth passed away in October 2013 and left the bulk of her estate to the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust. Elizabeth created the Trust to provide ‘Clyde Higgs Scholarships’ in agriculture; support and encourage new blood in farming and finance projects to help farmers survive and ultimately thrive in their challenging modern environment.
THE MECHANISATION OF CHERRY PRODUCTION AND HARVEST
MALCOLM ISAAC SCHOLARSHIP
The UK sweet cherry sector is reliant on seasonal foreign labour and, with rising minimum wage levels, the pressure to find alternative harvesting techniques is ever increasing to secure homegrown production against importation from lower labour cost areas of the world.
The convergence of agricultural technologies in the form of machine capabilities and improved biotechnological knowledge has the potential to change cherry production systems.
This study looked at the current and future availability of these new technologies and techniques in terms of plant physiology, mechanisation and robotics to determine the options available for sweet cherry production and harvest
The current sweet cherry industry around the world is a paradox between the industry leading technology in the packhouses and a labourer with a bucket and ladder in the orchard. The reason for this inconsistency is that harvesting cherries is possibly one of the most difficult crops to mechanise due to the small fruit size, clustered fruit, dense foliage, and complex tree canopies.
The report reviews two potential future harvest solutions, individual fruit removal with robotic technology and mass harvest techniques.
In terms of robotics, systems are not currently being developed specifically for the cherry industry. Significant investment is being made in other fruit sectors, but the commercialisation of these systems remains elusive. The technology continues to develop at a rapid rate and could potentially be transferable to the cherry industry.
Overall commercial robotic harvesting of cherries is unlikely to be possible in the short term. The main hurdle to overcome is that the current prevalent cherry growing systems with complex canopy structures are not suitable for robotic harvesting as the robots cannot easily access the fruit. Therefore, the industry should move towards single plain growing systems and work with robotic companies as the technology continues to develop.
For the mass harvesting of cherries, the technology is currently available to detach sweet fresh cherries with mechanical vibration. The reason these systems have not been adopted is the high percentage of fruit damage as the fruit falls through the tree. By using innovative single plain growing systems on a Y trellis, it should be possible to reduce fall distances and harvest losses.
The mass harvesting of cherries will result in a stem-free product with a comparable shelf life. Initial indications suggest that a stem-free cherry will be acceptable in European and North American markets however less suitable to Asian markets
RICHARD COPAS 2021 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
MALCOLM ISAAC SCHOLARSHIP
Malcolm Isaac MBE FRAgS, NSch, a Farmer's son, founded his Vitacress Salads business in 1951 on a one-acre plot in Hampshire, where fast-flowing streams have traditionally supported extensive watercress beds. When Malcolm sold his company in 2008 it was running 14 farms in Britain, Portugal, Spain and Kenya. It then supplied more than one million bags of salads to British supermarkets alone, each week and was Europe’s leading producer of fresh bagged salads.
Since then, he bought Exton Park knowing that the local chalk uplands of the Meon Valley were very special indeed and were where he could realise an ambition to produce some of the very best sparkling wine in England.
Malcolm believed that his scholarship, completed in 1967, played a very important part in his success. Since then, he has continued to support Nuffield Farming and has committed to provide funding in perpetuity for a horticultural scholarship. Malcolm sadly passed away in September 2024.
DISPLACING EMPTY CALORIES WITH NUTRIENT DENSE
FOOD: HOW CAN UK FARMERS BE REWARDED FOR PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE NUTRIENT DENSITY?
YORKSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY & WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF FRUITERERS
The UK faces a growing health crisis, with rising rates of chronic diseases putting immense pressure both on individuals and the NHS. While the link between food and health is now wellestablished, emerging evidence suggests that the way food is produced could also play a critical role in combating our health issues. Farmers could be key to improving public health by enhancing the nutritional quality of their produce.
The idea that “food is medicine” dates back to Hippocrates, but modern research is revisiting this concept with a new focus: not just on what we eat, but how our food is produced. Concerns are mounting that the nutrient density of our food is in decline. This has sparked interest in whether changes in agricultural methods could lead to more nutritious food, thereby helping to prevent chronic diseases and promote good health.
A small but growing number of researchers and farmers are exploring how specific farming methods could boost the nutritional content of food. If successful, these methods could be integrated into broader strategies to improve public health. Through my study tour, I identified four key areas that seemed particularly promising:
1 Soil Health: Regenerative farming practices that improve soil health can increase the populations of beneficial microorganisms, which play a crucial role in nutrient cycling. Healthier soils could therefore lead to more nutrient-rich crops.
2� Breeding and Variety Selection: Selecting and breeding crop varieties with a higher ability to uptake nutrients could help to improve nutrient density.
3. Biofortification: This involves enhancing the nutrient content of crops either through selective breeding for uptake of a particular nutrient, or by applying nutrients directly to plants during growth, potentially leading to foods that are richer in vitamins and minerals.
4. Animal Feed: The nutritional content of animal products like meat, milk, and eggs can be significantly influenced by what animals are fed. Optimizing animal diets could lead to more nutritious animal-based foods.
While the potential benefits of these methods are promising, there is still much work to be done. Collaboration between researchers and
farmers is essential to understand the impact of different farming practices on food quality. Largescale human health trials may also be needed to confirm the health benefits of consuming more nutrient dense foods. Additionally, healthcare professionals must become more aware of how food quality, influenced by farming methods, can affect health.
For real change to occur, comprehensive data collection and stronger evidence are necessary, along with close collaboration between agriculture and public health sectors. Farmers who sell directly to consumers have an opportunity to promote the nutritional benefits of their practices, however broader adoption will require systemic changes, including potential new incentives that reward farmers for not just the quantity, but the quality of food produced. If these efforts are successful, they could lead to a new understanding of food production’s role in public health, potentially reducing the burden of chronic diseases and transforming how we value food in society.
HANNAH FRASER 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
FRESH PRODUCE EXCELLENCE: GROWING OUR SHARE OF THE VALUE CHAIN
ROYAL
HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND & WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF FRUITERERS
JOHN GRAY 2021 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
The UK berry sector is facing extremely challenges times. After many successful years over the past four years costs of production have increased by approx. 40% whilst at the same time output returns have increased by approx. 20% resulting in a significant margin gap. Consequently, we are starting to see some growers leave the sector. This is all the more frustrating given that berries, being a fantastically healthy product, are in demand.
My studies took me to the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, the US and Canada, Australia and New Zealand and South East Asia where I met breeders, growers and marketers with the aim of understanding ‘how we as growers can increase our share of the value chain’. While the UK is often seen as one of the more advanced berry producers globally, with a sophisticated market, there are several lessons to be learnt from different approaches in other countries.
New techniques in breeding, namely molecular marker assisted breeding and gene editing are speeding up the development of new berry varieties. This is likely to bring benefits to growers in terms of higher yields and improved disease resistance which should allow for lower costs of production.
In the UK most berries are produced in polytunnels, a so called ‘mid tech’ system. In the Netherlands in particular the majority of berries are produced in more intensive glasshouse systems. These systems, whilst initially a lot more expensive, allow for large yields per hectare and should a cheaper source of energy be available, then these systems represent an opportunity to increase efficiencies and to extend the season of availability of UK berries.
Arguably in the UK we have ‘overengineered’ our berry supply chain with too many check points in the process and there is an opportunity to go back to basics to get it right first time, thereby allowing for a reduction in cost without compromising the final product quality.
There are exciting and growing markets in other parts of the world such as the Middle East and South East Asia and, in the future, India. These countries have rapidly expanding middle classes
who are prepared to pay the same or more than European consumers for berries and, due to their tropical climates, will import berries for many years to come. These markets represent an opportunity for UK growers to spread their risk and ultimately add more value to their businesses.
A recurring theme throughout my travels was the profound impact of investing in people. In New Zealand, the Māori saying, “What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people,” resonated deeply. World-class individuals, when nurtured and empowered, drive businesses forward, fostering innovation and sustainable growth.
In summary, through my travels I have seen that there is potential for change and for growers to improve their share of the value chain and therefore I am optimistic for the future of UK berry production.
WORKING TOGETHER: HOW DAIRY FARMERS & ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS CAN ACHIEVE
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY & COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
AHDB
RUTH GRICE 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
My Nuffield Farming Scholarship was borne out of frustration and anger.
Frustration that dairy farmers and environmental organisations, who should neatly fit together like a hand and a glove, often found themselves at opposing ends of an argument. Anger that these two communities, who both want to achieve sustainable food security and combat climate change, consistently fail to develop effective working partnerships in the UK.
Thanks to the generous support of the Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust, my lead sponsor, the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), as well as Long Clawson Dairy, I was given the opportunity to unpick how dairy farmers and environmental organisations worked together in other parts of the world with a view to ‘stealing with pride’ and bringing back key learnings to the UK.
During my travels, I visited Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States. All have established dairy industries, and all are working to achieve sustainable food security and combat climate change. By meeting various individuals in both the dairy industry and the environmental community, I learnt that the relationship between them is deeply rooted in cultural heritage, economic heritage and political landscapes.
Within the UK, cultural heritage influences relate in-part to long-established class prejudices. While our country may pride itself on being an inclusive, modern and diverse society, the influence of class structures frame how dairy farmers and environmental organisations work together more than we perhaps realise.
Economic heritage established after the Second World War also influences how the two communities perceive one another. Food shortages and rationing in the 1940s and 1950s led to increases in domestic food production, often at the expense of the natural environment. In the 1980s, globalisation and cheap food imports exacerbated the situation. To remain
competitive, the race to the bottom in UK agriculture began, again at the expense of the natural environment.
Political landscapes are often framed in one of two ways: carrot or stick. Statutory policies either reward or penalise dairy farmers for achieving sustainable food security and combating climate change. One method can empower dairy farmers and encourage partnership working with environmental organisations. The other meanwhile uses shame to generate action.
My Nuffield Farming Scholarship has left me with an enormous amount of hope.
During my travels, I found examples of healthy, symbiotic relationships between dairy farmers and environmental organisations. They taught me that even if the foundation stones of cultural heritage, economic heritage and political landscapes are against you, partnerships are possible
Unsurprisingly, it is all about the people.
Inspiring leaders who believe in the art of the possible and can find common ground between dairy farmers and environmental organisations, are able to forge partnerships regardless of predisposed barriers�
Together, dairy farmers and environmental organisations can achieve sustainable food security and combat climate change.
LARGE CARNIVORE REINTRODUCTIONS TO BRITAIN AND IRELAND: FARMERS’ PERSPECTIVES AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
THE THOMAS HENRY FOUNDATION
The potential reintroductions of wolves, lynx and bears to Britain and Ireland after absences of centuries, or even millennia, is one of the most controversial agri-environmental topics of the century. An application for a trial reintroductions of lynx in England was declined in 2018, with an unrelated project under discussion in Scotland. Yet with successful reintroductions of some non-carnivore species across these islands, from beavers to eagles, the idea is likely to grow in popularity and ambition. But despite the many social, economic and environmental benefits extolled by supporters of reintroductions, the costs and challenges are also significant, with many likely to be borne by livestock farmers.
Few studies have considered their perspectives to date. On the other hand, there are numerous examples from around the world of large carnivore conservation successfully coexisting with a range of rural activities and stakeholders, including livestock farming. In multiple contexts, a wide variety of tools and methods are utilised to manage this coexistence with large carnivores, grouped into five main themes: deterrence, finance, force, enterprise and governance. In turn, these approaches, of which governance stands out as the most significant and important, influence and are influenced by various strategic factors. These include political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental issues.
This study explored farmers’ perspectives on the context, management and governance of coexistence between potential large carnivore reintroductions and livestock farming in Britain and Ireland through 10 interviews with agricultural and rewilding representatives. It also explored examples of coexistence from over 40 interviews in and/or visits to Switzerland, France, Belgium the Netherlands and the USA, which are presented as case studies. Finally, it developed a Reintroduction Coexistence Framework to encapsulate and visualise the varied dimensions of this topic
In summary, large carnivore reintroductions are likely to be complex, contested and costly endeavours, whether with lynx, or, to an even greater extent, with wolves and bears. The primary challenge with all three species is likely to be the management and governance of
coexistence with livestock farming, particularly of sheep. The qualitative findings from this report suggest that there is a degree of consensus, among both farming and rewilding representatives alike, about the scope and scale of these challenges, with both groups citing the varied political, economic, social, legal and environmental dimensions. However, agricultural interviewees were more likely to stress the potential negative consequences of reintroductions. Case studies from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado illustrate the complexities in relation to deterrence, finance, force, enterprise and governance options respectively. Overall, the strategic context for potential large carnivore reintroductions to Britain and Ireland is currently extremely challenging.
JONNY HANSON 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
The Thomas Henry Foundation was created in 1847 under the terms of the will of Thomas Henry, a merchant in Downpatrick, Co Down.
Its principal objective is to promote agricultural science, horticultural science or veterinary medicine.
To this end The Foundation supports those engaged within the agricultural sector in Northern Ireland, Preferably working farmers,
who enter upon courses or research with the objective of advancing agricultural knowledge for the benefit of farmers and growers.
The Foundation funds scholarships awarded by the Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust to residents of Northern Ireland. It also provides financial assistance to a number of appropriate agricultural organisations and individuals.
If you live in Northern Ireland and are interested in applying for a Nuffield Farming Scholarship funded by the Thomas Henry Foundation, application forms can be obtained from www.nuffieldscholar.org
GREEN GOLD: IS HEMP THE NEW OIL?
NFU MUTUAL CHARITABLE TRUST
Hemp has a long history in the UK. In the 18th century, it was a staple crop for textiles, rope, and paper, but modern cultivation has dwindled to just 1,000 hectares. It is a highly versatile plant, with applications ranging from bast fibres for construction, bio-composites and textiles to protein-rich seeds for food products. Today, renewed interest is being driven by the demand for sustainable alternatives to resource-intensive products, with the global hemp market projected to reach $15.26 billion by 2027. Growing hemp offers UK farmers a valuable opportunity to diversify their rotations with an environmentally friendly crop.
However, despite its versatility and environmental benefits, hemp’s full potential in the UK remains untapped. Limited agronomic knowledge and restrictive licensing continues to deter farmers from trialling its cultivation. A lack of processing facilities, particularly for fibre production, acts as a bottleneck; preventing the crop from reaching smaller potential buyers. Additionally, market demand is not yet strong enough to encourage widespread adoption, and farmers are understandably hesitant to grow a crop without guaranteed returns.
This results in a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma: farmers are unwilling to grow hemp without stable markets, and processors won’t invest in infrastructure without a consistent supply. Breaking this cycle is crucial to unlocking hemp’s potential as a key crop for sustainable industries. The approach to achieving this can also serve as a model for other novel crops or farming practices, such as regenerative agriculture.
The path to success requires a strategic, multifaceted approach:
1 Collaboration with researchers to identify niche, high-value products that offer stable demand and high margins for farmers is essential. Proactively creating demand through products that leverage hemp’s unique properties, for instance in medical aids, provides a foundation for growth without requiring widespread shifts in complex sectors like construction.
2 Scaling production efficiency should be supported by investing in research and grower networks to improve agronomy and develop hemp varieties with traits that enhance its value as well as improving equipment for harvest and processing. These innovations will enable farmers to
increase efficiency and profitability, making hemp a more attractive crop.
3. Expanding demand in large-volume sectors will involve marketing hemp’s environmental and social benefits to consumers, coupled with strong engagement with industry and government to leverage policy support. While large-volume markets may not offer the high margins of niche sectors, policy-driven demand and increased production efficiency can ensure that hemp becomes economically viable for both farmers and buyers, making infrastructure investments worthwhile.
Hemp holds significant promise for UK agriculture, offering diverse market opportunities and environmental benefits. However, coordinated efforts in research, market development, lobbying, and infrastructure investment will be necessary to overcome current challenges. With the right support, hemp could emerge as a key crop for industries seeking to reduce reliance on petrochemical products - becoming the “new oil” in the green economy.
CAMILLA HAYSELDEN-ASHBY 2021 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
NFU MUTUAL CHARITABLE TRUST
Supporting rural initiatives
The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust was set up in 1998 to promote and support charities in the United Kingdom working in agriculture and rural development.
Since then we’ve made a positive difference to education, research, social welfare and poverty relief with donations to charities connected with agriculture and the countryside.
Over the last three years, the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has made donations of more than £4m across several national organisations that reach out to the isolated and vulnerable across the UK.
For more information, please go to nfumutual.co.uk and search for ‘Charitable Trust’.
Photo provided by Farms for City Children (Registered Charity No. 325120)
AGRILEADERSHIP FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD: THE FUTURE OF WORK IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK
EAST SUSSEX NFU
IZAK VAN HEERDEN 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Despite playing a crucial role in the success of farming businesses, leadership in agriculture is often overlooked. While farmers are naturally resourceful, they sometimes undervalue how impactful strong leadership can be and how the development of these skills can drive a business forward. As our working worlds continuously evolve, what at times feel like breakneck speed and external pressures increase, farms rely more on networks of people to build their business, yet personal- and people leadership is central to a sustainable agricultural sector. This report explores AgriLeadership in the UK, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and South Africa.
In Canada, despite cooperative models and supported government programmes, leadership development is still challenging, especially in promoting diversity at senior levels. It shows how the reliance on external support can reduce the urgency for cultivating adaptable, resilient leaders who can thrive independently.
In the Netherlands, the farmers’ protests whilst visiting revealed how everyday leadership can be sidelined in times of crisis. Stressful periods often overshadow in-business leadership’s importance, making it crucial to build strong, proactive leadership during stable times to weather challenging times.
Latin America offered the most insightful examples. With minimal government support and true market exposure, farming leaders in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina rely on entrepreneurship and resilience. With “survival of the fittest” mentality cultivating natural, innovative leadership at all levels throughout businesses. These leaders take full responsibility for their businesses and communities, fostering authentic, innovative leadership deeply connected to personal values and the well-being of their people.
Across all regions, the key takeaway is that effective leadership must be authentic. Authentic leaders inspire trust and loyalty, building deeper connections with their teams and promoting long-term success.
Humility is also essential; true leaders empower others and foster collective efforts. With the tight returns in farming, every small contribution
from the whole team is required to ensure a sustainable, profitable business, this is only possible where inclusive leaders build strong, resilient teams by giving everyone space to grow.
This concept is wholly captured by the philosophy of “Ubuntu” from the isiXhosa people, meaning “I am, only, because we are.” It reflects leadership as a collective effort, emphasising compassion, collaboration, and shared responsibility, with a focus on uplifting the community rather than obtaining individual power.
In conclusion, effective agricultural leadership is rooted in authenticity and humility. Whether in well-supported systems like Canada or entrepreneurial regions like Latin America, successful leaders inspire and empower others. Leadership is about fostering positive change, collaboration, and growth, not just guiding your business.
“You don’t need a title to be a leader!”
www.nfuonline.com/southeast
LEVERAGING VETS TO HELP FARMERS MAXIMISE NATURAL CAPITAL VALUE
AHDB
ROB HOWE 2021 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Natural Capital (NC) is the foundation of agricultural production encompassing everything from trees to microscopic beneficial organisms including phoretic mites, dung beetles and nematodes.
Whilst a farmed landscape may have been modified from its original state, natural capital is inextricably linked to agricultural production. In recent decades improving environmental outcomes on farms has had a greater focus, however genuine opportunities to realise a monetary value in improving environmental outcomes and NC can be opaque.
If we can better understand and harness naturally occurring solutions from trees to bugs, to wide ranging problems, there are significant gains for farmers, animals and society as a whole.
Farm vets are repeatedly shown to be a key, trusted source of information to UK livestock farmers, and experienced in balancing competing interests and ethics; a unique position to help navigate an ever more polarized world.
As the supply chain focus shifts toward environmental sustainability and improving natural capital, veterinarians are key in supporting farmers on how to manage their natural resources to achieve better animal health, environmental and farming outcomes. This is especially applicable to solutions for animal health and production that by their nature, do not have financial interests promoting them, such as a farm’s natural capital.
Through my Nuffield scholarship, I’ve had the opportunity to visit farmers, veterinarians, parasitologists, ecologists, scientists, educators, lawyers, and financiers across the UK, Europe, and Central and South America, discussing the issue of both improving natural capital and deriving value to the farmer of doing so. I observed that across the global agricultural supply chain, the challenge of achieving positive NC outcomes and deriving value for farmers is a universal issue and that much of the value of natural capital can be captured and enhanced, through the daily
operations of livestock farming. Veterinarians can play a key role in making this happen, and from the solid perspective of animal health.
By leveraging nature’s inherent strengths, farmers can enhance profitability, improve animal health, protect the environment, and contribute to food security and public health. This potential is well illustrated through the example of Integrated Parasite Management (IPM), a methodology I have worked on in practice to appropriately reduce parasiticide use in cattle, which in turn facilitates the growth of important aspects of natural capital for example in dung fauna and diverse forage. IPM potentially delivers key benefits including; reduction in resistance, animal health benefits, enhancement of naturally occurring beneficial organisms (NC), and cost savings for farmers
A future which focusses filling research gaps surrounding IPM, alongside monitoring appropriate reductions in parasiticide use in livestock, can enhance our collective understanding and realisation of farmers’ natural capital, animal health and productivity as well as positive environmental outcomes.
Furthermore, the baselining of parasiticide usage across the UK, alongside an understanding of the beneficial organisms (NC) affected by it, could unlock huge value for UK farmers.
Environment Baselining Pilot: Empowering farmers
AHDB, in association with QMS, is providing 170 farms across Britain the unique opportunity to gain independent environmental data about their farm business and landscape. This will empower them to make on-farm changes that improve their environmental impact while improving productivity and building resilience to change.
But the pilot is more than just measuring carbon or soils, it’s a transition to more informed action and debate about and within British agriculture which recognises; the environmental goods farmers deliver, the scale and potential of natural carbon stocks and sequestration, and the position and progress of the industry towards net zero.
The Environment Baselining Pilot will measure:
• Farm business carbon footprint
• Landscape carbon stocks
• Map water run-off
• Soil heath analysis
END TO END AUTOMATION OF FIELD SCALE
VEGETABLE PRODUCTION, INCORPORATING DATA DRIVEN SOLUTIONS
ROYAL NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION
Global agriculture is at a critical juncture, facing immense pressure to meet the food demands of a growing population while grappling with environmental sustainability, resource limitations, and the impacts of climate change. The complexity of managing modern farms has increased, necessitating the adoption of advanced technologies to optimize productivity and sustainability. This is even more evident in fresh produce businesses, and this study will try to explore the primary challenges is this sector, specifically focusing on issues related to the lack of availability of labour, irrigation and the efficient use of water, and systems integration to enhance efficiencies and avoid duplication. Additionally, I will examine infrastructure challenges associated with managing these aspects effectively and the potential consequences of failing to do so.
Automation
Often quoted as the solution to labour shortages, the reality is that fully automative systems are still in their infancy across many sectors. This study deep dives into the automated trimming of parsnips. It details how when developers and end users work on solutions together from concept to a commercial system that results can be game changing
Irrigation
The cornerstone of modern agriculture, essential for maintaining crop health and ensuring consistent yields. It also presents numerous challenges, that must be met to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Within this study I shall examine Water Scarcity, inefficient water use, lack of precision in application and monitoring challenges.
System integration
When addressing the challenges associated with the above topics several issues must be overcome to establish and maintain a workable infrastructure. Integration
throughout various technologies and devices such as sensors, cameras, drones, weather stations and automated machinery is challenging. Often these sources of information come in various formats with different operating systems, making it difficult to aggregate, analyse, and use the collected data for informed decision-making. Real time data is key so that responses can be made to changing conditions enabling actual operations to be effective.
JAMIE LOCKHEART 2020 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
UK RED MEAT PRODUCTION: HOW TO WIN THE BATTLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE MIND OF THE CONSUMER
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BUTCHERS
JAMES MACCARTNEY 2021 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
The UK beef and sheep industry is in the wonderful position of providing nutrient dense food that people want to eat, farmed sympathetically with the environment in mind by truly amazing individuals and businesses. There have, however, been rising concern amongst consumers around the environmental credentials of red meat. Is there a danger that red meat could be taken off the menu, and why has our sector of the industry felt so under attack?
The aim of this study was to investigate why the environmental credentials of the UK red meat industry were under what felt like a disproportionate level of scrutiny, and in response what could be done about it.
This study took in visits around the UK, Italy, Spain, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the United States to investigate a variety of farming methods and positive stories involving ruminant livestock, as well as perceptions of red meat and how a positive message can be communicated more successfully to customers.
The study evolved into focusing on three distinct areas:
1 What can be done on farm?
Whilst it is an overly simplistic metric –how can we ‘balance the carbon balance sheet’ on farm by incorporating the positive outcomes that ruminants have on soil health, biodiversity and nutrient density of the food they produce? How can we do this profitably?
2 What is the relationship between the producer, their system and their product? We must care more about the product that we are putting into the food chain. It is not enough to care about the ‘lifestyle’ or farming system, if you forget about the product when it leaves the farm gate. The farm must be looked at holistically like any other business, utilising all of the individual attributes of the business to produce the best product.
3. What are the positive stories we can tell and how can they be communicated to customers?
It has never been easier to own the narrative of a story that you want to tell – social media is free and available to all. However, it is not for everyone, so what are the alternatives for those who wish to advocate for the industry. How can we utilise our incredible people to tell these stories?
Farming enjoys levels of public support and market infiltration of which all other industries are envious. Whilst it feels like the red meat sector is under attack, in reality sheep and beef farmers are in an incredible position to utilise the opportunities to produce a fantastic product both profitably and sustainably that the customer will continue to eat.
The Worshipful Company of Butchers is delighted to support
The Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust
The Worshipful Company of Butchers has been associated with the meat trade for almost 1000 years and is pleased that currently over 90 percent of its members still have some connection with the industry. The three great tenets of the Company are charity, education and fellowship.
The Company is an active sponsor of Nuffield Scholars and enjoys a good relationship with the Trust
For further information, please contact:
The Acting Clerk – Carla Ashcroft Worshipful Company of Butchers
Butchers’ Hall 87 Bartholomew Close London EC1A 7EB
Tel: 0203 931 8350
Email: clerk@butchershall.com
Our recently fabulously renovated Hall is also available to book for hospitality and corporate events - please contact info@bovingdons. co.uk or telephone +44 (0)208 874 8032 for enquiries.
A REVIEW OF ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS TO DRIVE NET ZERO EGG PRODUCTION
THE MACROBERT TRUST
The agriculture sector is expected to reduce carbon emissions to help tackle the climate crisis. Soya in laying hen diets accounts for around 60% of the total carbon footprint (CFP) of an egg, so reducing or removing soya from diets will have a significant effect on reducing carbon emissions.
My Nuffield project reviewed alternative protein sources, including grain legumes, industry byproducts, insect protein and single cell proteins, to determine the most suitable source of protein for helping to drive egg production towards net zero emissions
Grain legumes, particularly faba beans, are of particular interest in the UK as a home-grown source of protein. Recent advancements in breeding are bringing varieties that are low in vicine and convicine to market, anti-nutritional compounds which have limited the use of faba bean in laying diets up until now due to effects on performance and mortality. Further investment is needed to breed varieties with increased yields of protein, disease resistance and early maturity to increase the area produced in the UK and Europe.
The use of industry by-products in laying diets is an important part of a circular economy. A key interest is the development of technology to further process DDGS from bioethanol production to increase the protein content. Processed animal proteins can provide a valuable source of protein and are used widely in the US. Regulation change in Europe has allowed it’s use since 2021, and the UK is expected to follow in 2025. One of the main problems with the use of by-products is their variability in nutritional value. Constant monitoring is required to correctly formulate diets to meet the nutritional requirements of laying hens.
The continued development of novel protein sources such as insect protein fed on low grade food waste, and single cell proteins grown on captured Co2 from industrial processes have
great potential in providing protein sources with a negative carbon footprint, vital for offsetting unavoidable emissions on the road to net zero. Both sectors are working on scaling their technologies with insect protein expected to be economically viable for livestock feed within 5 to 8 years.
None of the protein sources studied are considered a complete replacement for soya. A combination of alternative protein sources is required to significantly reduce or replace soya completely, resulting in an increase in the cost of the diet. Support is required to cover the cost of using alternative proteins either through investment in finding solutions to reduce the cost of production of the alternatives, i.e plant breeding or scaling insect protein production, or increasing the price paid to egg producers, potentially through differentiated egg brands.
ALISTAIR MCBAIN 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
WHAT
CAN
FARMERS DO TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH OF THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY?
NFU MUTUAL CHARITABLE TRUST
TOM PEARSON 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Whether looking at the more conservative or the more extreme data, it all points to the fact that healthcare is getting very expensive, public health prevention measures are underfunded and not making the required impact, and chronic disease and mental health conditions are on the rise. Poor diet is now recognised as the leading cause of avoidable harm to our health, contributing to lower life expectancy and earlier onset of illhealth, and costing the UK £98 billion per year.
Just as the health sector is grappling with the scale and challenge of this, so too is the agricultural sector trying to navigate its own complicated problems, including an entire shift in practices aimed at becoming part of the solution to the climate and nature crisis rather than part of the cause.
Perhaps these sectors can find some common ground to help solve some of each other’s challenges. Challenges that are often more connected than might at first be thought.
This study has a strong focus on food and healthy diets, exploring the idea that farmers could be in a unique position to contribute to their communities achieving healthier lives. Travelling to countries in Europe and North America that have similar agricultural and health challenges, the following healthy diet related ‘interventions’ were explored, including the role that farmers can play in them:
• Addressing barriers and facilitators to a healthy diet
• Food and farming education
• The Food is Medicine movement
• Unique health opportunities of local produce and short supply chains
• Public procurement of food and its role as a public health intervention
The study also recognises that the climate crisis is a health crisis and considers climate friendly opportunities within the interventions explored.
There were several key findings which were identified:
• Healthy diet related interventions can be designed to include a valuable role for farmers such as prioritising procurement of local produce delivering benefits for the local economy and fostering a better connection to food.
• Close partnerships between communities and producers can have direct health benefits.
• A school’s strong commitment to food education can open opportunities for local farmers, through on-farm and virtual educational access and local produce procurement opportunities.
• Some Food is Medicine programs are recognising that the true cost of certain foods has knock on negative health effects for their patients and are prioritising produce that delivers wider positive health benefits.
• Examples of these wider positive health benefits include climate and nature friendly farming practices, practices that protect water and air quality, nutrient-dense food, local producers boosting the local economy and socially responsible and inclusive employment.
• Food Hubs can fill geographical gaps and encourage supply of local produce to consumers such as public institutions and organisations focusing on equitable healthy food access.
• Public procurement of food is an under-utilised tool to improve dietary intake.
• Measuring the impact of healthy food interventions can be challenging and often lacks consistency between similar programs.
• Linking additional, credible wider health benefit metrics to food produce through the supply chain will be a challenge.
Healthy diet related interventions explored in this report…
• can include a valuable role for farmers in their design.
• should ask ‘where does the food come from’ and whether the food itself, including where and how it has been grown, has a positive or negative impact on the health of the consumer and their wider community. It is a false economy, and missed opportunity, to supply these interventions with certain foods, and systems of growing food, that can negatively impact health.
• should collectively agree to provide data that can give consistent, comparable outcomes to help deliver a strong advocacy argument.
• can provide the demand and catalyst for developing values-based supply chains. These ‘value chains’ need support and innovation to manage ‘data-enriched’ produce that can deliver the transparency and logistical requirements of food with additional wider health benefits.
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Whatever stage of the diversification journey you’re at, NFU Mutual is here to support you every step along the way.
To learn how NFU Mutual can support your diversification journey visit nfumutual.co.uk/farming-diversification
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THERE IS A BUZZ AROUND INSECT PROTEIN IN THE BROILER INDUSTRY, DOES THE IDEA HAVE LEGS?
THE POULTRY MEAT AWARD: AVIAGEN, COBB EUROPE & HUBBARD
Insect agriculture has in recent years risen from relative obscurity to become a widely discussed potential soliton to the global protein challenge, attracting keen interest across agriculture and waste processing industries. It is a potential solution to three challenges facing the broiler chicken industry: pressure to move away from traditional to ‘sustainable’ protein sources in broiler feed, demands for higher animal welfare from interest groups, and how to combat the ongoing concerns caused by land application of poultry manure. However, it is yet unclear whether insect protein is an actual solution to these problems, or, a case of the emperor’s new clothes, attracting significant funding but unable survive as a standalone industry.
The aim of the study was to understand the challenges facing insect agriculture and to see if the benefits it may offer can be captured by the broiler industry. This involved looking into both smaller, on farm production systems and larger, industrial level insect agriculture. Due to the specific regulations facing the UK, it was chosen to investigate what is being done at home, in Europe with rules that are likely to be in line with those the UK will adopt and in Africa where regulation far more relaxed.
The study identified three key challenges facing the insect agriculture industry.
1 Regulation – currently insects can only be fed live in the UK to prevent them being classified as Processed Animal Protein. Furthermore, insects are currently treated the same as conventional livestock and so are subject to the same restrictions on what they can be fed.
2 Cost of production – cost of production is far greater than conventional protein sources such as soybean meal. This is due to a variety of reasons including: set up costs, labour, energy, secondary processing costs, substrate costs, and egg / neonate production costs.
3. Scalability – to have any meaningful impact on the current UK soya usage for poultry feed, insect production will have to grow substantially. The level of expansion needed may not fully comprehended by those in the insect industry in the UK.
An area that requires further investigation is the potential to use insects to process broiler manure. This reduces the moisture content of the poultry manure while retaining much of the nitrogen. Reducing haulage costs to allow the poultry manure to transported to an area in need of fertiliser. You would then be able to extract the oil from the larvae for biodiesel making the protein meal the bioproduct of the system not the aim, eliminating current cost of production challenge.
GEORGE ROACH 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Aviagen is delighted to support the Nuffield Scholarship initiative in promoting fresh and investigative thinking that progresses our industry. The importance of study and commercial understanding of some of the challenging issues and opportunities that face the poultry industry not only helps to identify solutions to potential welfare, health or performance challenges but also drives forward innovation. Aviagen remains proud to support the Nuffield Scholars whose fresh thinking will serve to progress our industry into future decades.
Cobb commends George Roach’s Nuffield Scholarship project as an excellent piece of research into the challenges of delivering alternative protein sources from insect farming technology. From his study across three continents, George has investigated the opportunities of turning waste streams into a usable source of protein to enable producers to reduce their reliance on soya and also have a positive impact on carbon footprint. This research demonstrates the depth of talent within the industry to help meet the challenges and equally capitalise the opportunities of the future. Well done.
Hubbard are proud to support George and the wider Nuffield Scholarships to investigate some of the difficult issues facing the poultry industry. This year’s scholar, George Roach, is certainly no exception in taking on the emotive subject of using insects to convert waste materials into proteins for poultry feeds. The global farming industry is under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to set out a path to net zero production. There are many challenges both in terms of practicality, scale, cost and legislation which are important to consider put into context. Hubbard are happy to continue to support these scholars as they learn and come to terms with the real issues that we face to feed the growing global population.
MAKING
MANURES MATTER: HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR ORGANIC MANURES
MCDONALD’S UK & IRELAND
The importance and value of organic manures was likely realised by the first ever farmer to domesticate cattle. Where cow pats were left in fields the farmer would have noticed that the grass grew back greener and more lush than the areas where there were none. This attitude lasted right up until the Second World War and the start of the ‘Green Agricultural Revolution’. During this time plant breeding, artificial mineral fertilisers and plant protection products were used to drive yields to feed hungry world and ultimately replace organic manures.
Fast forward 50 or so years and a combination of factors have contributed to the rediscovery of organic manures. Factors include, environmental pressures and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accounting, the sudden increase and continued volatility in fertiliser prices and inputs generally; a focus on soil health; an improved understanding of soil function and soil biology; the establishment of carbon markets; continual economic pressures; the introduction of new and more restrictive regulations as well as the ever growing regenerative agricultural movement.
This report aims to understand the true value and importance of organic manures on farm, from a soil health and fertility as well as a profitability perspective. It will also look into the environmental impact organic manure management can have on the local as well as the wider landscape. By studying different types of organic manures, from Bokashi to Biochar and Johnson-Su to Vermicomposting, this report hopes to highlight the benefits of each and how they can be used for maximum effect.
While some organic manures significantly improved soil structure (Biochar), others increased soil fertility or microbial biomass (Bokashi), demonstrating that a tailored approach to organic manure management and usage is required for maximum benefit. It was found that, while almost all organic manures applied improved soil health and fertility by some measurable metric, an excess of manure, or the wrong manure applied at the wrong time, can have unwanted and far reaching consequences.
The true value of different manures was impossible to determine due to the many
benefits provided. The chemical components, such as Nitrogen, can easily be measured and valued but long term benefits to soil health, such as water infiltration rates or water holding capacity, are impossible to determine and vary wildly depending on a soils starting point. To some of the farmers in developing countries or where soils were poor, organic manures were the difference between being able to farm or not, making them priceless in these areas.
Finally, the environmental impact of different organic manure management options was considered. Poor organic manure management lead to significant nutrient loss which impacts soil health, farm profitability and had lasting environmental impact. Addressing organic manure management on farm is a simple and often low cost option that provides significant benefits to the soil, environment as well as the economic performance of the farm
ANDREW SINCOCK 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Investing in more sustainable farming.
We source from over 23,000 British & Irish farmers and we’ve been able to invest millions to help set farms up for a more sustainable future.
A little change to encourage a positive impact on British and Irish farming.
Change a little, change a lot ®
FEED EFFICIENCY AND TARGETED GENETIC SELECTION AS THE KEY FOR SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE AND PROFITABILITY IN LAYING HENS
BEMB RESEARCH & EDUCATION TRUST
The global population is forecast to reach 9.7 billion in 2050. One of the best sources of highquality protein are eggs. To assure the number of eggs, which will satisfy the rising food demand without compromising economic loses, the feed efficiency of laying hens needs to be improved. More efficient feed systems will not only give economic benefits to farmers but will also have a positive impact on the environment.
This study aims to identify the best practice to achieve the most profitable feed efficiency. During the study tour the available tools for layer profitability were assessed. Moreover, market opinion on feed additives for layers was evaluated and it was checked how genetics and artificial intelligence can help with feed efficiency improvement.
Feed additives are substances and chemical compounds which are added to feed but are not essential and do not constitute basic nutrients. The feed additives which were discussed during the study are probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, enzymes, organic acids, medium-chain fatty acids and phytobiotics. Feed additives should be used more often in laying hens’ diets as they can improve FCR, egg production, health and consequently profitability of the birds.
Poultry farming is the fastest growing livestock husbandry sector. The average improvement of feed conversion ratio (FCR) for layers is around 0.005 kg feed/dozen eggs/year. White laying hens are more profitable and sustainable compared to brown layers. The production traits like FCR, egg production and liveability are better for white layers. Moreover, White laying hens can be kept for more than 100 weeks and the carbon footprint is lower for them compared to brown layers.
The new technologies which can significantly improve gut health and target feed formulation for laying hens are still in the process of development. The biggest challenge for technological improvement is balancing low
costs with high functionality. It would be helpful to organise meetings of farmers from the same area to compare anonymously their production data. In this way it would be easier to get the solutions for best practice.
Even though sustainability is currently a big topic, there is no space for any products which only improve sustainability in laying hens. Egg producers prioritize production output and feed intake over feed efficiency metrics. This is why it’s more difficult to get egg producers to change diets solely for improving feed efficiency. However, there are numerous feed additives which improve the quality of feed and at the same time they improve nutrient utilisation efficiency, egg production and health status of birds which have influence on decreased level of ammonia emission and the carbon footprint
SYLWIA SOBOLEWSKA 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
DEDICATED TO UK EGG INDUSTRY RESEARCH & EDUCATION
The British Egg Marketing Board (BEMB) Research & Education Trust was formed in 1971 from the residual funds of the former British Egg Marketing Board. Its remit was the “improvement and advancement of that branch of agriculture which is concerned with the production of hen or duck eggs in the United Kingdom…”
The Trustees have furthered those objectives by sponsoring PhD Students, supporting other appropriate scientific research work and, in particular, funding a Nuffield Scholar almost each year since 1974 to study a subject related to egg production or marketing.
These same Scholars have formed themselves into the Nuffield Poultry Group and it is estimated that more than 80% of the poultry industry of the UK is represented within its ranks. The Group itself meets regularly during the year and organises its own study tours in different parts of the world for its Scholar members.
The BEMB Trustees consider the financing of Nuffield Farming Scholarships an excellent use of funds and would encourage UK egg industry potential Scholars to take up this unique opportunity.
For more information about the BEMB Research & Education Trust email alibone@bembtrust.org.uk or go to www.bembtrust.org.uk
TURNING THE TIDE ON THE ANTI-FARMING AGENDA
ROYAL HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND
The agricultural industry is facing unprecedented scrutiny from multiple fronts—media, activist groups, and government agendas—all contributing to what many farmers perceive as a growing anti-farming sentiment.
Governments globally are advancing policies that often prioritise climate action over food security. Public interest groups have intensified their activities and influence over policymakers, while farmers are caught in the crossfire of journalists competing for headlines.
Many within the agricultural community feel under attack. This has been fuelled by a growing disconnect between urban and rural communities, leading to widespread misconceptions about modern farming practices
As scrutiny intensifies, farmers worldwide are adopting a defensive stance. Protests, internal divisions, and fragmented messaging are becoming increasingly common - creating barriers to constructive dialogue with policymakers, media, and the public. This situation has been exacerbated by industry organisations working in silos, causing further division within agriculture.
Through being awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, I embarked on a journey to investigate whether anti-farming sentiment is gaining momentum worldwide, why communications are breaking down, and what needs to change to reposition agriculture more positively.
My travels have taken me across Europe, Africa, South America, Australasia, and Asia, where I have met with farmers, lobbying groups, policymakers, journalists, scientists, and industry experts to understand how agriculture is responding to growing scrutiny, and how well it communicates as an industry.
The central question of this report is how can this scrutiny be turned into an opportunity for meaningful engagement? An opportunity to transform how agriculture communicates its story and connects with audiences beyond its echo chamber
My research identifies the need for an overhaul in the way the agricultural sector communicates and engages with both the public and key decision-makers. It calls for fresh and dynamic leadership that challenges traditional mindsets, inspires positive change, and repositions agriculture to regain control of its narrative.
Drawing from examples of countries such as Brazil, Kenya, New Zealand, Australia and the UK, the report showcases members of the global agricultural community who view increased scrutiny as an opportunity rather than a threat. This includes numerous individuals and organisations who are practicing a new approach to communication—one that moves beyond traditional agricultural circles and adapts its language and methods to connect more effectively with wider audiences.
To turn the tide on the perceived antifarming agenda, this report concludes that the agricultural community must shift from a defensive stance to more proactive and constructive engagement with critics. This will require a willingness to connect with diverse audiences, break down industry silos, and work collaboratively to develop clear and unified messages that resonate beyond the agricultural echo chamber
CLAIRE TAYLOR 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
REVIVAL AND SURVIVAL: ADAPTING FOR A 2-DEGREE WARMING WORLD WITHIN THE BRITISH CUT FLOWER INDUSTRY
JOHN OLDACRE FOUNDATION
Britain is a nation of cut flower lovers in a rapidly warming world. The UK market for fresh flowers and indoor plants is valued at £2.2 billion, but only approximately 10% of that is grown in the UK. Since the 1980s, our national cut flower industry has been in a steep decline. In the 1970s, more than 120 chrysanthemum growers produced approximately 60 million stems a year. Today, there are no chrysanthemum growers left.
What happened to our cut flower industry, how can growers survive in the face of a 2-degree warming world? Against the backdrop of a powerful $9.6 billion global industry, and the flower markets of Holland out-competing UK growers on price, what would it take for them to truly thrive?
A 2-degree warming world impacts growers including increases in pests and disease, unpredictable temperature extremes, flooding and droughts but so far our sector has focused solely on emissions reduction. Where is the discussion about resilience, future proofing, and adaptation?
My Nuffield study, kindly made possible by the generous support of the John Oldacre Foundation seeks to understand the opportunities that climate change presents, from floral production methods, to knowledge and exchange, to ways to survive climate related shocks
Travels that took me by bike, train, boat, plane, car and foot to the Netherlands, Kenya, New Zealand and around the UK meeting micro to macro producers, campaigners, scientists and leaders across various industries. I found answers to resilience that lay in how communities respond to emergencies, how they exchange and share knowledge; I discovered that the ideal place for climate adaptation is on a farming scale where farmers feel empowered to take action with the knowledge and research to back up their decisions, and with financial incentives from government. This was a lesson of hope and opportunity.
Meeting growers in the UK was both sobering and motivating. As one grower put it; “Our challenge is not to get us from 90% imported to 50% imported, but to find a way to stop it becoming 95%”. Significant issues raised around infrastructure, energy costs, a lack of incentives
for relevant sustainability practices, or access to R&D, results in businesses going under at alarming rates. There exists a vicious cycle of growers under financial pressures, leading to the government and civil society dismissed the sector, leading to a further lack of investment.
Ultimately, I expected to focus solely on climate adaptation in this research, but what emerged was a more substantial roadblock to change - the British cut flower industry is divided and struggling to survive. Whilst financial pressures and high levels of international competition impact our sector, there are nevertheless emerging opportunities on the horizon as a result of climatic change. But no-one is leading with a unified voice, advocating to government, civil society, or the public, at a time where growers are clamouring for support. We need a dedicated sector body that specialises in floriculture, taking positive, inclusive action with effective campaigning and advocacy, and dedicated research
ROISIN TAYLOR 2023 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
JOHN OLDACRE FOUNDATION
My Nuffield Scholarship looked at the impact of climate change on the British cut flower industry and was kindly sponsored by the John Oldacre Foundation.
This generous support allowed me to travel to New Zealand, Kenya, and the Netherlands and extensively in the UK, meeting growers and changemakers across the industry and beyond.
John Oldacre Foundation’s support has changed my life, giving me the time, freedom and financial ability to explore solutions for our sector and my business. With this knowledge and expertise, I plan to share, facilitate conversations and campaign for radical change in our industry.
ROISIN TAYLOR 2023 SCHOLAR
THE INTEGRATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO INCENTIVIZE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
JOHN OLDACRE FOUNDATION
Farmers face the critical challenge of feeding a growing global population, projected to reach 10 billion within our lifetime. Intelligent and balanced usage of natural resources is essential to prevent overexploitation and to protect the ecosystems that support global biodiversity. As stewards of the land, farmers play a pivotal role in conserving, sustaining, and restoring healthy ecosystems while addressing carbon emissions to mitigate environmental degradation.
Globally, farmers are incentivised to maximise production at the lowest costs, which often favours short-term gains over long-term sustainability. Agriculture and forestry are uniquely positioned to provide environmental services. Managing land, water, and biological resources offers the potential to deliver services such as carbon sequestration, habitat preservation, and biodiversity support. Farmers may face conflicting objectives, torn between immediate financial needs and the desire to maximise environmental benefits.
To address this, it is crucial to shift agricultural incentives to reward environmentally friendly practices. This requires a paradigm shift in agricultural policy, market dynamics, and societal values to recognise the broader contributions of farmers beyond mere production.
This study explores the challenges of developing environmentally focused incentives for farmers globally and focuses on new information technologies that might provide solutions. These technologies include the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning, blockchain, and digital currencies.
In 2018, I began to develop a vision for how technology could incentivise farmers and land custodians globally to help balance some of the world’s problems associated with the economy and farming. This idea has occupied my mind, and I have felt compelled to further my understanding with the aim of eventually driving positive action in farming and agriculture.
The focus of this Nuffield study was to explore if there were other companies and countries using these technologies and whether they could help to incentivise farmers. If so, how have they been implemented? If not, what could be the challenges or limitations... and lastly, what can I do to help make it a reality?
Travelling to the USA, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Qatar, India, Ireland, and Mexico provided a cross-cultural understanding and exposure to industry knowledge and expert engagement. The study found that new information technology could be used to develop incentives for farmers to adopt sustainable practices and to create new markets for environmentally friendly services, as well as increase transparency and traceability amongst sectors
Based on the findings, the study recommends that the agricultural sector should explore the use of these technologies to incentivise positive environmental actions and to create new markets for sustainable agricultural services. Furthermore, policymakers should consider providing financial incentives for the adoption of these technologies and for the implementation of sustainable practices.
Farming is not just an industry; it’s a cornerstone of global stability and health, and it will play a pivotal role in addressing the most pressing challenges of our times. We are both direct victims and contributors to climate change and biodiversity loss… we also have the potential to be the heroes
ED TOWERS 2021 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
JOHN OLDACRE FOUNDATION
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity afforded to me by the John Oldacre Foundation through the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust.
Your commitment to fostering educational growth and innovative practices in agriculture has been instrumental in my own journey to explore and develop sustainable solutions within the farming sector.
This scholarship has not only allowed me to broaden my horizons and gain invaluable insights but has also empowered me to contribute to the agricultural community in meaningful ways. Your support has been a cornerstone of my project, enabling me to engage with technologies and strategies that are pivotal in driving sustainability forward.
Thank you for your dedication to nurturing new ideas and leaders in agriculture. I am honoured to be a part of this legacy and am committed to continuing the work that your generosity has made possible.
ED TOWERS
CAN REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF LIVESTOCK?
MCDONALD’S UK & IRELAND
In the face of growing climate concerns and environmental degradation, the UK livestock industry is facing increasing scrutiny for both its ethical and environmental impacts. As food systems have become more industrialised globally, there have been increasing concerns over the health and welfare of livestock within these systems, as animals are often pushed to their physical and psychological limits in the name of efficiency and progress.
Living on a planet of finite resources with an expanding human population is a very real concern when it comes to food availability. Scaling-up production has been seen as the only viable solution to ensure the world does not go hungry. This, combined with the ready availability of ammonia-based fertilisers; a legacy of the post-world war munitions industry alongside increased use of pesticides and fossil fuels has driven intensification worldwide. Despite the fact the world now produces more than enough food for its growing population, it is politics that ensures it does not reach those that need it most. Intensification has also come at a huge environmental cost. In a conventional food system where land degradation, river contamination, poor air quality, nature depletion and a heavy reliance on fossil fuels and other chemical inputs are considered normal, it is unsurprising that farming, human health and the planet have reached a crisis point.
Regenerative agriculture offers an alternative solution. It aims to improve degraded soils, biodiversity and climate resilience by farming as close to nature as possible and to make farming businesses both more profitable and productive whilst reducing the need for external inputs.
This study was undertaken to understand if regenerative agriculture can improve the health and welfare of livestock.
As part of this project, I visited the USA where there are several ongoing long-term studies on regenerative agriculture. I also visited Australia where an increasingly hostile climate is forcing change to more resilient farming methods. I also travelled throughout much of the UK mainland to visit farmers who are adopting regenerative practices in different ways.
Although management of livestock is the most vital determinant of health and welfare within any farming system, animals that are walking a metabolic knife-edge due to high levels of production in intensive systems are more likely to require interventions. Understanding the root cause of disease can help producers to identify bottlenecks on their farms. Focussing on positive health and welfare outcomes alongside levels of disease is imperative here, as are sound and ethical breeding decisions. Observation and an open mindset are key attributes of a good stockperson
Landscape design is as fundamental to livestock welfare as housing design and long-term, sustainable farm planning for a changing climate is crucial to ensure that health and welfare remains a priority in regenerative systems where animals are used as a tool to improve soil health.
Regenerative agriculture can not only improve livestock health and welfare - it has the potential to improve the health of entire ecosystems on a global scale. It is therefore, on the entire industry from policy to the supply chain to support a move to a more sustainable, regenerative future.
CLAIRE WHITTLE 2021 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR
Investing in more sustainable farming.
We source from over 23,000 British & Irish farmers and we’ve been able to invest millions to help set farms up for a more sustainable future.
A little change to encourage a positive impact on British and Irish farming.
Change a little, change a lot ®
PRESENTING SCHOLARS
How to counteract the agronomic and market challenges facing the UK potato industry
McDonald’s UK & Ireland
And The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association
LUKE BREEDON
Biochar use in agriculture: the environmental and economic benefits
The Beckett Award
Displacing empty calories with nutrient dense food: how can UK farmers be rewarded for practices that promote nutrient density?
YORKSHIRE Agricultural Society & Worshipful Company of Fruiterers
HANNAH BATTY
People. Processes. Potential: a blueprint for great team management on UK dairy farms
The Trehane Trust
WILL BROWN
Finding synergy between the traditional farming model and vertical farms
Central Region Farmers Trust and Food Chain Scholarships
JOHN GRAY
Fresh produce excellence: growing our share of the value chain
Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland & Worshipful Company of Fruiterers
JIM BLISS
Born to be wild? Does the future success of marginal farming lie in the untapped potential of rewilding?
Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills
Gate to grid, a responsible model for integrated energy production
Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust (a Clyde Higgs Scholarship)
Working together: how dairy farmers & environmental organisations can achieve sustainable food security & combat climate change
AHDB
Creating forests that thrive in a changing climate: drought and fire resilience
John Oldacre Foundation
The mechanisation of cherry production and harvest Malcolm Isaac Scholarship
Large carnivore reintroductions to Britain and Ireland: farmers’ perspectives and management options
Thomas Henry Foundation
JONNY HANSON
BYRON BRAITHWAITE
HANNAH FRASER
THOMAS CLARK
RICHARD COPAS
HARRY BARNETT
RUTH GRICE
PRESENTING SCHOLARS
CAMILLA HAYSELDEN-ASHBY
Green gold: is hemp the new oil?
Nfu Mutual Charitable Trust
JAMES MACCARTNEY
UK red meat production: how to win the battle for environmental sustainability in the mind of the consumer
Worshipful Company of Butchers
ANDREW SINCOCK
Making manures matter: how to maximise your organic manures
McDonald’s UK and Ireland
ED TOWERS
The integration of new technologies to incentivize environmental services
John Oldacre Foundation
IZAK VAN HEERDEN
Agrileadership for tomorrow’s world: the future of work is not what you think East Sussex NFU
ALISTAIR MCBAIN
A review of alternative proteins to drive net zero egg production
MacRobert Trust
SYLWIA SOBOLEWSKA
Feed efficiency and targeted genetic selection as the key for sustainable performance and profitability in laying hens
BEMB Research & Education Trust
CLAIRE WHITTLE
Can regenerative agriculture improve the health and welfare of livestock?
McDonald’s UK and Ireland
ROB HOWE
Leveraging Vets to help Farmers Maximise Natural Capital Value AHDB
THOMAS PEARSON
What can farmers do to make a positive impact on the health of their local community?
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
CLAIRE TAYLOR
Turning the tide on the anti-farming agenda
Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
JAMIE LOCKHEART
End to end automation of field scale vegetable production, incorporating data driven solutions
Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association
GEORGE ROACH
There is a buzz around insect protein in the broiler industry, does the idea have legs?
The Poultry Meat Award: Aviagen, Cobb Europe & Hubbard
ROISIN TAYLOR
Revival and Survival: adapting for a 2-degree warming world within the British Cut Flower Industry
John Oldacre Foundation
2024 SCHOLARS
SABA AMIR
Can calf with cow dairy farming become the future of the dairy industry?
John Oldacre Foundation
JOCK GIBSON
Enhanced Meat Eating Quality from 100% Pasture and Forage Systems
Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland and Worshipful Company of Butchers
POLLY HILTON
Elevating the value of, pride in and respect for British Fine Cider
Worshipful Company of Fruiterers and Three Counties Agricultural Society
LAURA AWDRY
Every Calf has a Value, but is every calf equal? Sustainable and profitable dairy beef production in the UK
Dartington Cattle Breeding Trust
SOPHIE GREGORY
What is the future for organic farming?
The Trehane Trust
DAN JONES
Upland sheep farming, finding the balance: production, conservation and climate change
John Oldacre Foundation
WALLACE CURRIE
Let’s get Agricultural Education into the Tramlines
The MacRobert Trust
LIZ HAINES
Neurodiversity in Agriculture
McDonald’s UK & Ireland
Enhancing the resilience of the UK Dairy Sector: how do we prepare for increasingly volatile climate conditions? AHDB
LUCY GEORGE
Tea cultivation within agroecology - the development of a high value opportunity for UK farms
Royal Welsh Agricultural Society
From farm to fork, from barn to brand; the models, advantages and disadvantages of farm diversification
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
The disconnection between eating quality in the UK beef industry - from farm to fork
Royal Welsh Agricultural Society
HARRIET MCFADZEAN
NATALIE HEPBURN
GWION PARRY
2024 SCHOLARS
IFAN ROBERTS
Inspiring the next generation of dairy entrepreneurs
The Trehane Trust
AMY STONER
UK Food Security: A forwardthinking approach to ensure resilient fresh produce supply chains
Food Chain Scholarship
ANNIE WILLIAMS
Minerals for Ruminants - Are we getting it right?
The Richard Lawes Foundation
TOM SCROPE
Growing Together: Exploring New Ways of Farmer
Knowledge Exchange to Secure Stronger Soils
Yorkshire Agricultural Society
DAVID TAVERNOR
Practically and profitably diversifying your farm business with black soldier fly production
The Beckett Award
WINSLET
For Peat’s Sake –Do We Need A New Approach To Peatland Agriculture?
Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association
DAN SMITH
Generation Regeneration. We need you.
McDonald’s UK and Ireland
SAM WATSON-JONES
Per Plant Farming, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Arable Farming
Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust (a Clyde Higgs Scholarship)
The dream British Cheese Goat: could a pasture based dairy goat system ever work at scale in the UK?
Central Region Farmers Trust
Doing More with LessLearning From the Small to Teach the Big Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills
CORMAC WHITE
Developing a Sustainable Grazing-based Small Ruminant Dairy System suitable for New Entrants with alternative supply chain models
Thomas Henry Foundation
JAMIE STOKES
HARRY
RACHEL YARROW
2025 NEW SCHOLARS
BEN ANDREWS
Flooding and Diffuse Agricultural Pollution: Agriculture’s role in the causes and solutions.
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
ALEX CRAWLEY
Precision Ranching’: How can new innovations support UK extensive grazing
McDonald’s UK & Ireland & Three Counties Agricultural Society
How can agricultural businesses manage risk in a risky operating environment?
AHDB
SAM BROOK
Biology based Agronomy: How can Horticulture grow in a more nature friendly way?
Worshipful Company of Gardeners & East Sussex NFU
SIONED DAVIES
Scaling insect protein production from a range of substrates, including on-farm chicken litter
Royal Welsh Agricultural Society supported by the Eira Francis Davies Bursary
AWAL
Developing a resilient UK Halal meat production system for domestic and export markets
Central Region Farmers Trust & Three Counties Agricultural Society
GREGOR BRUCE
The last generation of Pig Farmers boosted Sow Productivity 50%. Can we do the same? And should we?
John Oldacre Foundation
Exploring the factors that contribute to improving the overall resilience of our dairy goats
Milking Goat Association & British Goat Society
The challenge of getting value from our farming story
Food Chain Scholarship
Preparing Pullets for the Future of the UK Egg Industry
BEMB Research & Education Trust
NATASHA EDWARDS
Farm Certifications for Farm Profitability & Promotion of Agroecological Practices
Studley College Trust & Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology
How do we move British seaweed farming to commercial scale and reach its full potential?
Richard Lawes Foundation
FUSEINI
MOLLIE GUPTA
CHARLOTTE COLE
LAURA EDEN
PETER GREEN
EDWARD FANE TREFUSIS
2025 NEW SCHOLARS
LAURA JAMES
Pathways to Participation:
Reducing Barriers for Farmers in Biodiversity Markets
Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills
ANDY MOORE
How has automation affected the dairy landscape and where do we go from here?
Trehane Trust
BEN LOWE
Closing the loop - Driving a circular farming system in a mixed Pig Farm.
McDonald’s UK & Ireland
DAVE OATES
Stacking land uses for business & environmental sustainability.
CHK Foundation
PETER ROE
Aspen : A Hybridised Approach to Economic Forestry in the UK
MacRobert Trust
Balancing the Books. Does Multifunctional productivity represent optimal land use?
Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association
SHARON MAY
No farmer is an islandSupporting the Mental Health of Farm Families.
FCN / Len’s Light
STUART OATES
Fossil Free Farming
Dartington Cattle Breeding Trust
Addressing Suicide in Agriculture: Supporting and Preventing the Biggest Hidden Danger Today.
Yorkshire Agricultural Society
TOM MCVEIGH
A study of Nut production, propagation, processing and marketing in the UK
The Beckett Award
ANDREW RICHARDSON
Young Professional Networks: Comparing Agriculture to Aquaculture, with a view to support growth
Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust (a Clyde Higgs Scholarship)
Valorising waste/surplus streams from fruit and vegetable growing through encapsulation
The Alastair and Margaret Miller Charitable Trust
ARCHIE RUGGLES-BRISE
LUCIA SLACK
ALI WARREN-WALKER
We are excited to be hosting you in Aberdeen – the furthest north the conference has ever been. The conference will take place be in partnership in AgriConnect, with complimentary events running throughout the week to maximise your visit to the North-East:
AGENDA
• Local Tours – Tuesday 18th November 2025
• 2025 Future Farming Expo - Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th November 2025
• 2025 Nuffield Farming Conference - Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th November 2025
• Annual Dinner - Wednesday 19th November 2025.
The Conference will be held at the brand-new P&J Live Conference Facility, with excellent connections via road, rail and air, and discounts negotiated with both ScotRail and LoganAir.
P&J Live also have an array of hotels on site, with advantageous rates agreed.
Offers of support for the 2025 Nuffield Conference, including food and drink for the conference menus, and sponsorship, are especially welcome.
Please contact Dr Jenna Ross OBE NSch jenna.ross@abdn.ac.uk
We look forward to welcoming you to Scotland next year.
We are farming’s ‘home from home’ in London, with members from across the breadth of the agricultural supply chain. Whether in farming, the food and drink sector, or wider agricultural roles there is a home for you at The Farmers Club. We welcome members for business, pleasure and leisure, including families and a vibrant Under 35s section to the heart of London at 3 Whitehall Court.
Offering a relaxing home environment with accommodation, an excellent Restaurant showcasing the very finest British food, and a Bar, perfect for agricultural debate and chat and networking with likeminded members. The Library or Business Suite are available to catch up on business or you can arrange meetings or events in a range of function rooms, all with modern AV. Alternatively, relax on the Terrace overlooking the Thames and simply watch the world go by. An exciting programme of Club events for all tastes is run throughout the year whilst away from the Club we arrange activities at agricultural shows, farm walks, and trips around the UK and overseas.
Originally founded in Whitehall in 1842 to influence early agricultural policy and highlight the importance of the sector, and the forebears of the NFU and CLA, The Farmers Club remains an important agricultural institution today.
Whatever your role in agriculture and the food and drink industry, if you’d like to become a member of The Farmers Club and benefit from meeting like-minded people for business and pleasure, please contact Jez Scholfield on: HdM&C@thefarmersclub.com.
Supporting farming, agribusiness and natural capital
Our national Agribusiness Group advises clients across the food supply chain, from input suppliers to food processors. We support clients with acquisitions and disposals, structuring and funding investments, tax issues and succession planning.
We also advise on natural capital projects, helping landowners navigate the many tax considerations and pitfalls so they can derive real value from the natural capital of their land.
For more information contact:
David Sedgwick, Partner
E: david.sedgwick@saffery.com
T: +44 (0)117 906 4643
www.saffery.com
Peter Harker, Partner
E: peter.harker@saffery.com
T: +44 (0)20 7841 4086
NUFFIELD FARMING 2025 DIARY DATES
Event
Date
The Oxford Farming Conference 8th – 10th January
Launch & virtual Open Evening for potential 2025 Scholars 22nd January
Dairy Tech - Stoneleigh 5th February
Nuffield 2025 Scholars Pre-CSC Briefing 2nd – 5th March
Nuffield Farming Trustees Board Meeting 4th March
Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference (New Zealand) 8th – 16th March
Balmoral Show, NI 14th – 17th May
Royal Bath and West Show 29th – 31st May
Agri-Leadership Week End of May
Nuffield Farming Trustees ‘Away Day’ Meetings 3rd & 4th June
Royal Cornwall Show 5th – 7th June
Cereals – The Arable Show 11th & 12th June
The Royal Highland Show 19th – 22nd June
The Royal Norfolk Show 25th & 26th June
Groundswell 25th & 26th June
The Great Yorkshire Show 8th – 11th July
The Royal Welsh Show and Nuffield Farming Reception 21st - 24th July
Nuffield Farming Trustees Board Meeting 18th September
The Dairy Show Early October
2026 Nuffield Scholar Selection Interviews 29th September –1st October
Announcement of 2026 NSchs & Sponsors 17th October
2026 Next-Gen Scholarships Applications open Early November
2025 Nuffield Farming Conference – Aberdeen 18th - 20th November
Nuffield Farming Trustees Board Meeting 11th December
A FRIEND OF NUFFIELD FARMING
NUFFIELD FARMING LEGACY
If you have benefited from the Nuffield Farming experience you will know what a positive impact it can have on an individual’s life and career. You will also know that Nuffield Farming benefits the wider industry and is playing a vital role in helping Society meet a variety of environmental challenges.
Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust is very fortunate in that it has enthusiastic sponsors who support individual scholars but, as a charity organisation, covering all our overheads and funding additional activities is an ongoing challenge. Your support can help to ensure that we are able to deliver this essential programme, improve our offerings and use our position to continue making a difference.
A gift in your Will can help ensure that the Nuffield Farming experience is available to future generations. If you would like to remember Nuffield Farming in your Will, there are three main types of gift you can make:
• Pecuniary Gift - is the gift of a particular sum of money
• Specific Gift - is the gift of a specific item that could be for example - a property, a painting, a piece of jewellery or an antique.
• Residuary Gift - is the gift of all
If you would like to leave Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust a gift in your Will the following wording may be helpful:
If you have already made your Will and decide that you would like to add a gift to Nuffield Farming, the following wording for a codicil may be helpful when you visit your Solicitor or legal advisor:
If you would like to discuss a Nuffield Farming legacy further, please contact Rupert Alers-Hankey, Director: rupert@nuffieldscholar.org or 07919 030055
NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIPS
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust is a charity organisation whose aim is to bring positive change in the food, farming, horticulture and rural industries through the development of its future leaders. Our life-changing Scholarships unlock individual potential through study and overseas travel, as well as develop the farming and agricultural industries through the sharing of ideas. If you are farming yourself, or work in an industry associated to agriculture and rural industry, then please take the opportunity to explore our website and find out what Nuffield Farming has to offer.
WWW.NUFFIELDSCHOLAR.ORG
Published by Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust Bullbrook, West Charlton, Charlton Mackrell, Somerset TA11 7AL.
