Winners of the 2017 Norfolk Scholars competition revealed!

Emily Page, Norfolk Scholar
Emily Page, Norfolk Scholar

The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA) and Bidwells have announced Luke Paterson and Emily Page as the winners of the 2017 Norfolk Scholars competition.

The pair, who both live in Norfolk have won places at farming’s foremost industry event the Oxford Farming Conference which is held over the next three days (January 3,4,5).

As part of the initiative, they will attend the three-day conference where they will hear from international and national speakers within the agricultural sector.

Luke, 34, lives in North Walsham and manages his own 400-hectare farm as well as working as an independent broker for Paterson Ag Ltd.

He said: “I am honoured to have been selected as the 2017 Norfolk Scholar and there’s no better way to start the year than by attending such a fantastic farming event. This is a great opportunity and there is huge value in being able to meet industry leaders and professionals with whom I can discuss the challenges which lie ahead for the industry.”

'Hugely important'

Emily, 26, from a family farm near Great Yarmouth and who works for Frontier as an Agronomist across Norfolk added: “Attending the Oxford farming conference is hugely important in terms of developing my career and helping to broaden my knowledge and perspective of the ever changing agricultural industry.

“It is also important to not just consider the knowledge transfer from the well-respected speakers, but also from the other delegates you meet by exchanging experiences and stories with each other. Bringing all these factors together means attending the conference will help with bringing new ways of thinking to the growers I deal with on a daily basis.”

The 'Norfolk Scholar' programme was designed to underpin the future of the region's agriculture sector and it is now in its fourth year.

The programme enables two people aged between 18 and 35, who live work and/or study in Norfolk, to attend the Oxford Farming Conference.