Since 1947, we have awarded over 1,000 scholarships to those working in the food, farming, horticulture and rural industries. Our Scholars travel across the globe to learn from leading experts and farmers before bringing their knowledge back to the UK to share at home. With study topics ranging from hill farming to global trading markets (and everything in between), Nuffield Farming Scholars all share passion for what they do, a desire to do things better and a head full of questions…
Get acquainted with our most recent Scholars and their study topics by clicking below…
Meet Alastair Trickett
I graduated from the University of St Andrews with an MA (Hons) in Philosophy, having grown up on a family arable farm in Yorkshire. I moved to London to work for a management consultancy, helping companies like Google, Royal Mail and Experian commercialise big data.
Meet Angus Russell
Having been raised on the 400 Ha family owned arable Toft farm in Warwickshire alongside my parents a passion for a career in agriculture was ignited from a young age. I attended Warwick school for boys and left to study a 3 year extended diploma at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire, completing all courses and training available to me.
Meet Aoife Behan
Currently, I am Director or Soil Association Scotland, a food and farming charity. My role is to lead and manage the organisation, its programme of work and its team of 27 staff to build its influence and credibility to transform the way we eat, farm and care for the natural world.
Meet David Butler
I have had the privilege of being involved in farming from a young age. We originally had a 60 acre family fruit farm in Kent. Over the last 10 years I have managed to expand to 160 acres growing apples, pears, cherries and some various soft fruits. In that time I have also worked as the fruit manager of a family estate's fruit department consisting of 400 acres of orchards nearby.
Meet Edward Jones
I come from a farming family background and grew up on a beef and sheep farm on Anglesey, North Wales. Not only was I fortunate to grow up on a farm but also lucky to feast on unpasteurised milk, fruit and vegetables from the garden, and eggs from free roaming chickens. I’ve always had a passion for farming but also an interest in banking and finance.
Meet Emma Patterson Taylor
I grew up in Edinburgh and have chosen to make farming my career. From a background working in the food and drink industry in central Scotland, I joined my current employer SAOS in 2013 having previously worked in government developing and implementing the Scottish BVD Eradication Campaign. I draw on my learning and experience in the environment, food and agricultural sectors to bring insight to challenges in the farming industry.
Meet Frederick Langdale
I grew up on a small holding farm near Godalming, Surrey and I have always had an interest in farming. It wasn’t until 2001 when I had the opportunity to work in New Zealand that my interest in viticulture was triggered. On my return to the UK I enrolled into Plumpton College, to pursue a better knowledge of viticulture. During the course I worked for an organic vineyard and winery near Tonbridge Wells.
Meet Gary Spence
I grew up on a dairy farm in Kilkeel, Co. Down which transitioned to beef and crops which is currently farmed in a partnership between my father and I. I studied Agriculture Technology at Queen’s University Belfast and CAFRE Greenmount which included placements in Devenish Nutrition and with Fields of Life Uganda.
Meet Hannah Senior
I grew up in a farming village in Yorkshire. Life later took me elsewhere – to University, a career in London, and business school at Stanford in California. I returned to agriculture when I acquired PBS International, a business which serves plant breeders and seed producers by using technical fabrics to control pollen flows. It was then that I realised how much I had missed the agricultural and scientific world.
Meet James Stobart
I am Jimmy Stobart and I live in the Eden valley in Cumbria. I work in partnership with my brother Tom on our family farm. The 780 Ha farm is split into two blocks with 93 Ha ran on a rotational grazing system and the rest being made up of SDA and moorland. The moorland block is in a HLS scheme and is currently running 400 Swaledale ewes.
Meet Jamie Lockhart
I grew up in Norfolk and have been involved in farm management since graduating from Shuttleworth Agricultural college in 1995. I am Director of Farming at Honingham Thorpe Farms where I have been employed for the past 15 years. The business farms 6,000 acres and cropping includes cereals, oilseeds, sugar beet and a range of irrigated crops including potatoes, onions and parsnips.
Meet Lizzie Carr-Archer
During my younger years I grew up on the family farm in Oxfordshire, lending a hand and getting into general mischief. After concluding that being a Vet wasn’t for me, I decided to study Environmental Science at the University of York, where I embarked on modules such as pesticides in the environment.
Meet Lucy Maclennan
From a young age I have always had a love of food, whether it was baking with my mother as a child and loving Home Economics lessons before progressing to cookery school, which led me to study Food and Nutrition at University. On my work placement year I discovered the role of a food technologist and went on to the graduate scheme at Marks and Spencer.
Meet Nicola Harrison
My career so far has been varied but always centred around research. I have been very fortunate to have been able to combine my passion for plants with research during my Ph.D at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, where in my spare time I learnt the art and skills of grafting fruit trees. After my studies, my growing interest in fruit crops led to a research position at East Malling Research (now NIAB EMR), where I developed a programme of research on fruit tree rootstocks and root development.
Meet Peter Craven
I am proud to be a 4th generation farmer in Lincolnshire. My Great Grandfather started the family business with a flour mill and each generation has changed and improved the role and size of the business. Today, I farm with my brother specialising in potato and daffodil production. We also grow wheat, sugar beet and vining peas as well as letting some land for brassica and carrot production.
Meet Sam Steggles
My passion for agriculture can be attributed to my Grandfather who was one of the first to import Simmental cattle to the UK. Having studied at Writtle College and then Harper Adams, I worked for a number of years for Newquip/Big Dutchman where I gained a valuable insight into innovation and customer service within the UK poultry sector.
Meet Samuel Smith
I studied engineering at Cardiff University, motivated by a curiosity of how things work and the way design can help people live better lives. My interests in food and farming came later. During University, I became more aware of the environmental stresses we are placing on the planet, so I turned towards attention towards renewable energy and was fortunate to have the opportunity to study an MSc in Sustainable Energy.
Meet Teresa Meadows
Growing up on a sheep and beef farm in Dorset gave me an inbuilt passion and appreciation for the agricultural industry. After studying Geography at university, volunteering, travelling and working around the world, I worked in farm advice roles with an environmental focus on my return.