Farmers are urged not to miss out on the opportunity to apply for a 2020 Nuffield Farming Scholarship as the deadline looms.
Scholars are selected with a view to developing tomorrow’s leaders within their individual business and the industry as a whole.
There is no need for formal qualifications in order to apply; instead, the Nuffield Trust, a registered charity, looks to unlock an individual’s potential and broaden horizons through study and travel overseas.
It awards approximately 20 scholarships annually in the UK to young people between the ages of 22 and 45 from across the agricultural industry.
Nuffield Farming member countries span the globe, with established programmes in Australia, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Kenya, and Zimbabwe; Associate countries also include Brazil, USA, South Africa, and Southern Caucasus.
Robert Thornhill, a dairy farmer from Derbyshire, started thinking about applying for a Nuffield Scholarship during a local dairy technical meeting.
“It was hearing what the beef sector was looking at in regard to mob grazing that started me thinking about the opportunities that might be available to the dairy sector.
“In fact, my study developed beyond that once I had begun, showing that a Scholarship is a continual, evolving process.
“My Scholarship opened up a whole new world for me and put me in contact with people and ideas I would never have had the opportunity to meet. It has made me look at things completely differently,” said Mr Thornhill.
He added: “We have recently become involved with Natural England, Innovative Farmers and the Peak District National Park to run some trials around my Scholarship topic.”
The 2019 Nuffield Farming Conference is to be held 27-29 November 2019 at Chesford Grange in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
