Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust

🎙️New 'Tales of a Nuffield Scholar' podcast episode! 🎧In this episode, 2022 Scholar Chris Taylor explains his journey into agriculture from studying at Harper Adams to his current role as Chief Agronomist at N2 Applied: https://bit.ly/3VBzS0g 👏 Supported by Howden Rural.

The question from Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust is... Can You Farm Carbon? Soil carbon dynamics Understanding the dynamics of soil carbon (C) sequestration was essential at the start of my Nuffield. Researchers in France and the US have clarified that soil continuously loses carbon, at between 1 and 5% loss of background soil organic matter (SOM) annually. Soil micro-organisms, together with larger fauna (e.g. earthworms), break down the SOM, using its organic carbon as a food source and respiring it to the atmosphere as CO2. This loss is usually greater than C inputs in crop stubble, chaff and roots; therefore to maintain or increase soil carbon levels, farmers need to apply additional carbon inputs through cover crop residues, straw returned, manure or inclusion of grass leys in the rotation. Think of your soil carbon balance like a bank account- if your deposits are larger than your withdrawals then your balance is going to increase, and vice versa. Read more from Nuffield in their latest article: https://lnkd.in/eD__6Xrb Direct Driller Magazine issue 28 sponsored by Trinity AgTech #DirectDriller #RegenAgMag #NuffieldScholars #CanYouCarbon #Carbon in the #FarmingIndustry

🚜🇪🇺 Brussels Adventure: Farming unions Galore! 🌾🐄 Just wrapped up an incredible 3-day journey in Brussels, connecting with diverse farmer unions and associations! What an eye-opening experience! 🤯🤝 Highlights: • BAB (British Agricultural Bureau) 🇬🇧 - Stellar job representing UK views post-Brexit! Proud to see our voices still heard in the EU! 🗣️ • Swedish farmers 🇸🇪 - Fascinating regional organic approaches. Love how they adapt to local needs! 🌿 • European Dairy Association 🥛 - Lively chats on organic farming and future milk production. We even had a surprise visitor - a cow in the office! 🐮😂 Who said agricultural can’t be fun? • Finnish innovation 🇫🇮 - Mind-blown by their robotic uptake! Did you know they lead in lactose-free milk due to national intolerance? Talk about turning challenges into opportunities! 🤖🥛 Market dynamics - One processor controls 90% of the Finnish market! 📊 Also learned about their tied stall systems - always interesting to see different practices. • Copa Cogeca - Gained valuable European-level policy insights. It’s crucial to understand the bigger picture! 🌍 • French co-ops 🇫🇷 - Impressive how 3/4 of farmers are in co-ops, keeping rural areas thriving. Their government-regulated land prices were an interesting contrast! 🏞️ • IFOAM - Great discussions on European organic representation. The future is green! 🌱 Key takeaway: “We can’t rely on the past 20 years to navigate the next 20!” So true and thought-provoking! 💡 Huge thanks to my awesome wing woman Laura Awdry for the company and laughs, and to my sponsor Trehane for making this incredible learning opportunity possible! 🙏 Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust Who knew you could feel like you had visited several counties in one day without leaving a building 🏢 What does policy hold for England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 next ?! #FarmingFuture #EUAgriculture #BrusselsTrip #AgInnovation #OrganicFarming #DairyIndustry #NetworkingWin #AgriculturalExchange #FarmersUnite

✅✅ Georgia State ✅✅ My recent Nuffield travels through Georgia were incredibly enriching, taking me from the University of Georgia in Athens, down to the southwest, and even a bit into Alabama to meet one of the three remaining cow dairy herds. Key highlights included: - Staying at White Oak Pastures, run by Will Harris, author of The Bold Return to Giving a Damn. - Meeting Professor Sha Tao, an expert in heat stress in dairy herds. - Engaging with Pam Knox, an Agricultural Climatologist providing crucial agricultural trend data for many in the southeastern United States. - Learning about the Georgia Climate Project. Our main discussions focused on several critical areas: 🐄 Heat Stress Impacts for Life Heat stress is a major concern not just for lactating cows but also for dry cows, in-calf heifers, and calves. Despite being underfunded, research on heat stress in calves is essential as it likely affects the animal's entire lifespan. The same can be said for a calf that was in utero when the mother was heat stressed. 🐄 Climate-Resilient Farming Mimics Nature Adopting farming practices that mirror natural evolutionary processes can enhance resilience. Think mob grazing, multi species swards, natural tree coverage. However, those who have implemented these practices heavily and switched from intensive systems have warned about the initial financial hit. It's crucial for the industry to understand the long-term effects on financial stability however when resilience is prioritised. 🐄 Collaboration Across Sectors Integrating agricultural resilience with other sectors is key. We have several programs in the UK that already do this—how can we expand these initiatives and increase their visibility to the public and decision-makers? Can we get a team together that takes 50 questions from the agricultural sector and answers them for us? 🐄 Climate Data Demands What existing data in the UK can inform decision-making and how can this be built upon? Real-time data like growing degree days and weather forecasts, coupled with longer climate trend data, can guide both current management and future infrastructure decisions. Over ten-year trends can prompt significant infrastructure responses if required, but only if data can be accurately translated and trusted. Next stop: Mexico, where I’ll be observing dairy farms operating in 50°C conditions! AHDB - Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust Promar International

At first glance, this appears to be a photograph of three farmers observing Arcott, Cheviot, and Charollais rams, all of which are of exceptional quality. However, for me, it represents a profoundly humbling and enriching experience. I am deeply grateful to the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust and McDonald's for providing me with the opportunity to witness and learn about things that I could never have imagined. In reality, this photograph captures my visit to a Hutterite colony in Western Canada, where I was warmly welcomed and embraced by the community. I had the privilege of immersing myself in their culture, gaining insights into their livestock practices, and experiencing their way of life. It was a truly unique and unforgettable opportunity. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Renny W. Grilz, PAg and Jared Epp for their incredible kindness, passion, and sense of kinship. Jared, in particular, demonstrated a deep love and care for the environment in which he lived and worked. His strong connection to his local community was evident, and we shared many engaging conversations about dogs, the environment, and farming. Despite our initial unfamiliarity, we parted ways as friends.

At first glance, this appears to be a photograph of three farmers observing Arcott, Cheviot, and Charollais rams, all of which are of exceptional quality. However, for me, it represents a profoundly humbling and enriching experience. I am deeply grateful to the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust and McDonald's for providing me with the opportunity to witness and learn about things that I could never have imagined. In reality, this photograph captures my visit to a Hutterite colony in Western Canada, where I was warmly welcomed and embraced by the community. I had the privilege of immersing myself in their culture, gaining insights into their livestock practices, and experiencing their way of life. It was a truly unique and unforgettable opportunity. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Renny W. Grilz, PAg and Jared Epp for their incredible kindness, passion, and sense of kinship. Jared, in particular, demonstrated a deep love and care for the environment in which he lived and worked. His strong connection to his local community was evident, and we shared many engaging conversations about dogs, the environment, and farming. Despite our initial unfamiliarity, we parted ways as friends.

📣Apply now for the Greener Future Award! 🌱The award recognises a Scholar whose work has a significant focus on the environment and sustainability. To apply or nominate a Scholar email office@nuffieldscholar.org 📩 👏Thank you to LEAF for sponsoring this award.

👏Our #NuffieldFarming Next-Gen Scholars have completed their study tour! 🐄Over the last month Bronagh Dempster, Ewan McCracken & Kirsten Henry visited 45 farms across the UK. We are looking forward to hearing their thoughts at #NuffCon24 in Belfast. 📝Applications for 2025 Next-Gen Scholarships open in November.

It's always great to catch up with Andy and Lynda Eadon. Their support for FCN is greatly appreciated, and their 'Len's Light' campaign continues to make a real difference - raising awareness of the challenges of mental health in rural and farming communities and working hard to ensure that nobody feels alone. Thanks to their support, we recently launched the FCN / Len’s Light Nuffield Farming Scholarship with Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, which will sponsor Nuffield Scholars focusing on topics that support people in farming and rural communities; help to address issues of loneliness and isolation; explore health inequalities in farming / rural communities; or encourage a positive mindset and help to build resilience. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e-ZrkZDn Thank you both, and good to see you at the Great Yorkshire Show today! #farminghelp #farminglife #backbritishfarming #farmwell #agriculture Lisa Cardy

📖Our #NuffieldFarming Report of the Week is "Building a Sustainable Farm Business". Read the report from 2015 Scholar Jonathan Brunyee here ➡️ https://bit.ly/4cNN5tP