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 Adam Banks
I grew up in Nottinghamshire on a family run arable farm and went on to study Environmental Science at Nottingham University. Leaving university, I took up a position as an agricultural loss adjuster, dealing with a wide range of commercial insurance claims across the UK. I have always had a keen interest in travel and so when the opportunity arose to work as an international adjuster based out of Mexico City arose my girlfriend and I leapt at the chance.
Meet Alexa Parker
Having grown up on a family farm, I was always interested to understand the rest of the food supply chain. I started my career in the fresh produce industry before joining Dairy Crest in the Milk Procurement team.
Meet Angela Kirkwood
Yorkshire born, bred and proud!
Following a 6 month sabbatical to study farming in Ontario, Canada I returned to the family farm in 2009. I was appointed a partner in the family business in 2014.
Meet Barry J O'Boyle
I grew up in South Antrim on my family dairy farm located on the northern Shores of Lough Neagh. I have been involved in the farm most of my life, and came back to farm full time when I was 15 years old.
Meet Caroline Mitchell
Having grown up on Beef, Dairy and Arable farm in West Yorkshire, I was always aware of the agricultural industry. However, it wasn’t until I actually had an Applied Biology honours degree from University of Nottingham under my belt and no idea what I wanted to do with it, that I started looking at agriculture more closely.
Meet Chris Rose
I grew up in North Shropshire, a fertile farming region where agriculture was a key business. Living in a small rural village I was never far away from farming and by the time I left home to go to university in Exeter I had worked on most types of agricultural enterprises; from dairy and poultry farms to larger arable farms.
Meet Emily Norton
Although very definitely “born in muddy boots”, I studied law at Cambridge University and qualified as a solicitor specialising in commercial law, before returning back to the family farm via an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture from Harper Adams. For the last 10 years I have been been raising my family and working in our small but highly diversified family farming business in Norfolk.
Meet Gus Selby
I come from a farming family and grew up on an irrigated wheat, soya and tobacco farm in northern Zimbabwe. Fifteen years ago we relocated to Zambia where we lived in tents, cleared land and started again from scratch.
Meet Jamie McIntosh
I grew up in Peebles, a small town in the Scottish Borders. From an early age I developed a strong interest in farming and after studying for a degree in Business Management with Marketing, I started a career in agriculture. For the past 10 years I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working in the egg industry both in egg production and sales of day old chicks.
Meet Jenna Ross
My name is Jenna Ross and I am 32 years old. I was brought up on a mixed farm in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, and am the daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter of farmers, on both my mum and my dad’s side. From a young age, I formed an interest in nature, and after completing my First Class Honours degree at Robert Gordon University, I went onto study a PhD in Environmental Science at the University of Aberdeen.
Meet Joe Towers
Following a degree in Agri-food Marketing at Harper Adams University I joined our family milk processing business which was being operated on the family farm and supplying small local businesses with fresh milk.
Meet Jonathan Gill
I am a qualified robotic engineer with 12 years of experience specialising in mechatronic systems I started out working on oil rigs with a ROV team in the harsh offshore environment.
Meet Kate Mayne
After studying at Newcastle University I worked in the eastern counties as a potato and onion agronomist, before returning to my home county of Shropshire.
Meet Mark Dewes
I’ve been working in agriculture since I left school at the earliest opportunity in 1988. I was lucky to meet a careers advisor on my YTS day release course who gave me a reference that got me into Harper Adams, despite my lack of A levels. There I studied for a degree in Agriculture. Since 1996 I’ve been working as an agronomist; first for ADAS then TAG.
Meet Martin Gott
My partner Nicola and I signed a Farm business tenancy at Holker Farm in 2006 where we established a flock of milking sheep and began making artisan cheese with their milk. Previously I worked alongside two other cheesemakers both making with artisan cheese with raw milk, one with goats in Somerset and one making traditional Lancashire cheese near Preston.
Meet Neil Eastham
I grew up on a Lancashire dairy farm where my family continue to milk 340 pedigree Holsteins cows. I studied at the University of Liverpool for my undergraduate degree in Veterinary Science and after graduating in 2007 I joined Bishopton Veterinary Group in Ripon, North Yorkshire as a farm animal vet.
Meet Richard Harrison
I began my scientific career with a degree in Biological Sciences at Lancaster University, followed by a PhD at the University of Manchester. Following this I was awarded an MRC fellowship in Biomedical Informatics at the University of Edinburgh.
Meet Tom Ormesher
My formative years were spent in Kent working summer jobs on various farms. I loved every minute of my degree at Wye College, focussing on environmental science - but always through the lens of agriculture and countryside management.