Nineteen emerging leaders from Australian agriculture have been awarded prestigious 2023 Nuffield Scholarships at a dinner and conference in Tamworth on Monday evening.
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For the first time, Nuffield Australia has awarded more scholarships to women, at a rate of two to one, than men this year to study topics as diverse as productivity, farmer mental health and rural education.
The scholars will travel in Australia and overseas to study innovative ideas, techniques and systems that will benefit their businesses and the broader agricultural industry.
There were five scholarship winners from Queensland, four from NSW, three from Western Australia, two from South Australia and Tasmania and one winner from Victoria, the Northern Territory and the ACT.
Each 2023 scholar receives a $30,000 bursary to invest in travel and research. They will visit, learn from, and collaborate with some of the world's leading agricultural businesses and research institutions.
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Nuffield Australia chief executive officer, and 2013 Scholar, Jodie Redcliffe, said the scholarships enable producers to learn about farming systems and innovations that can be game-changers for Australian agriculture.
"Nuffield Australia opens the world up for people in agriculture who are brave enough to be out of their comfort zone," Ms Redcliffe said.
"A global perspective enables them to learn, be competitive and grow. We're so excited by this cohort of Nuffield Scholars. They're from a wide range of industries - cropping, fishing, livestock and tree nuts - and we've got every state and territory represented."
Ms Redcliffe said this cohort of scholarship winners will tackle a range of issues that are impacting Australian agriculture. Some of those topics are sector-specific, and others affect the whole industry.
"For example, Aimee Snowden already uses LEGO® to engage people's interest in agriculture and spark an interest in our diverse industry through her business Little BRICK Pastoral. She plans to study agriculture education models that drive immersive experiences and engage curious minds.
"And there's Sarah Crosthwaite, dairy farmer and mental health counsellor from Victoria. She will explore how different agricultural sectors across the world support their producers' mental health, especially in a changing climate.
"From Western Australia, Rebecca Kelly is looking to find or develop resources to help farmers in negotiations with energy companies, for example, if they want to explore or extract resources from their land.
"All our scholars are tackling topics that are important to the sustainability of the industry they love - whether that's by optimising productivity, meeting market requirements, enhancing biosecurity, reducing chemical inputs, adapting to climate change or improving animal welfare."
2023 Nuffield Scholars
NSW
- Fiona Aveyard from Peak Hill. Supported by RAS Foundation (NSW), Fiona will explore how to incorporate value-add opportunities into the red meat industry.
- Tim Houston from Mungindi. Supported by Cotton Australia and the Cotton Research & Development Corporation, Tim will research how to sustainably transition land from grazing to cropping, including cotton.
- Nicole Logg from Barmedman. Supported by Australian Wool Innovation, Nicole will investigate nutritional options for supplementing sheep effectively.
- Jackie Morrison from McLeans Ridges. Supported by AgriFutures Australia, Jackie will study Integrated Pest Management and how it can support the Australian industry's fight against Varroa destructor mite.
Queensland
- Jarrod Cook from Stamford has been awarded the Northern Pastoral Scholarship, supported collectively by the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo), Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC), Elders and S. Kidman & Co. Jarrod will study the best methods to prepare cattle for feedlot entry to optimise performance.
- Tessa Dimond from St George. Supported by GrainCorp, Tessa will gain a global perspective on how Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) affect Australian grain prices and access to international markets.
- Regan Lynch from Hughenden. Supported by Animal Health Australia and Plant Health Australia, Regan will explore ways to improve farm biosecurity attitudes and practices in the Northern Australian beef industry.
- Aimee Snowden currently works in Rockhampton but hails from a family farm in southern NSW. Supported by AgriFutures Australia, she will study agriculture education models that drive immersive experiences and engage curious minds.
- Miriam Villen King from Bargara. Supported by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), Miriam will study sustainable approaches to growing walnuts in Australia.
Western Australia
- Daniel Dempster from Goomalling. Supported by Grains Research and Development Corporation, Daniel will explore the economic implications of adopting the agricultural farming practices focused on total soil cover, minimal soil disturbance, high plant species diversity and livestock incorporation.
- Rebecca Kelly from Mingenew. Supported by CBH Group, Rebecca will explore ways to help farmers in negotiations with energy companies, for example if they want to explore or extract resources from their land.
- Alys McKeough from Carnarvon. Supported by Meat & Livestock Australia, Alys will explore emerging technology to improve property-wide connectivity, which could boost efficiency and productivity along with improving rangeland condition in the pastoral industry.
South Australia
- Alexander Copper from Auburn. Supported by Nuffield South Australia, Alexander will study drought tolerant wine varieties that could be introduced to Australia.
- Sammy McIntyre from Parawa. Supported by Rabobank, Sammy will study how enriching feedlot environments to encourage natural behaviours can benefit the sheep industry.
Tasmania
- Iain Field from Copping. Supported by University of Tasmania and JM Roberts Charitable Trust, Iain will study how to increase ecological literacy and biodiversity on farms for sustainability.
- Joana Ferreira Mendes from Geeveston. Supported by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Joana will visit key aquaculture-producing countries and bring back insights and innovations to help the Australian industry farm fish more sustainably.
Northern Territory
- Jodie Mitchell from Newcastle Waters. Supported by the Northern Territory Government and ANZ Bank, Jodie will explore ways to improve raising young cattle in northern/sub tropical environments.
Victoria
- Sarah Crosthwaite from Kergunyah South. Supported by the Gardiner Foundation, Sarah will study how different agricultural sectors across the world support their producers' mental health, especially in a changing climate.
ACT
- Nuffield Australia and CSIRO have an established partnership that promotes understanding between Australian scientific research and our agricultural industry. In 2023, Dr Vivien (Viv) Rolland will be the sixth CSIRO scientist to participate in two key components of the Nuffield program: the Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) and the Global Focus Program (GFP).
About Nuffield Australia
Nuffield Australia has been supporting Australian agriculture for more than 70 years. Nuffield Australia awards scholarships each year to primary producers and people in closely associated industries, to foster personal development and build industry capacity. A Nuffield scholarship lets Australian producers interact with leading and innovative businesses across the globe to find ideas and forge connections that improve our food and fibre value chains, keep our industry one step ahead.
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