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 Alice Jones
I graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2004 with a BSc Hons in Food Science and have worked in a wide variety of technical roles in the food industry, including product and process development, R&D, and food safety and quality management in both consumer and ingredient food processors.
Meet Charles Steer
Having been raised on a small organic farm in East Cheshire which my parents ran alongside their professional careers, my passion for agriculture was sparked from a very young age. The farm was a family affair and their long standing sentiment for conservation and sustainability, is something I continue to strive for in my work.
Meet Chris Harrap
Having a background in property and design, I took on my estate management role in 2014, working on a mixed use estate (pigs, dairy and arable) in South Yorkshire. Our Jersey cows supply milk to Longley Farm and our pigs consume the waste from Longley’s dairy, thereby sust
Meet Claire Hodge
I grew up on a dairy farm in the Scottish Borders and have always been driven to find information and solutions to agricultural challenges. The agricultural industry has so much potential and I am constantly inspired by the ability of farmers, their persistence and commitment to survive change, this is why I enjoy working in the industry.
Meet Dan Burdett
I am a third generation dairy farmer from West Sussex, milking 300 organic cows on a simple autumn calving system. Although I grew up on a dairy farm and loved driving tractors, my life was destined to be lived in the urban jungle. At 18 I escaped the countryside and studied Business Studies at the University of Derby.
Meet Duncan Williams
I grew up on an arable farm in Essex but very quickly knew a career in livestock was for me. I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London, keen to learn as much as I could about the dairy industry on an international stage. I completed a year's internship at the University of Illinois, then moved into private dairy practice in South Island New Zealand where I spent two and a half years working as a primary vet on farms ranging from 150 to 5500 cows.
Meet Ed Barnston
After commissioning from Sandhurst I spent six years in the army half of which was serving with Commando forces operating worldwide. At that time I met Kate from New Zealand and I left the army to get married and we moved to Auckland. Whilst overseas I retrained and became an investment manager working for ABN AMRO and Investec.
Meet Grace O'Gorman
I grew up on a beef farm in the midlands of Ireland, where my family have lived for generations and went on to develop a career in animal health with a focus on livestock. I completed a PhD in Dublin studying parasitic disease in African cattle, which included field work in Kenya. I continued my work in research as a postdoctoral fellow studying the genetics of early embryo survival in dairy cows.
Meet Hannah Eastaugh
I grew up in Andover, Hampshire and I developed a strong interest in Agriculture during my time at the University of Nottingham where I studied Animal Science. In 2012 I started on the graduate programme at Noble Foods working at a one million bird colony laying site in Nottinghamshire as a Management Trainee and since then have progressed through various areas of the Agriculture team.
Meet Heidi Hall
From graduating with a BSc Hons Zoology degree from the University of Leeds in 2011 I joined the commercial nutrition graduate scheme with AB Agri which gave me a broad understanding of applied animal nutrition and feed manufacture. From there I took the role of General Nutritionist with AB Connect (part of AB Agri) and later the role of Project manager for the Alternative Proteins division of AB Agri.
Meet James Smaldon
I grew up on a small hill farm in North Devon, on the foothills of Exmoor. I now live nearby with my fiancée Katie and our labrador, Henry. After leaving school, I studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Bristol University, before joining an engineering consultancy as a graduate engineer. Whilst at this consultancy, I completed a Masters degree in Transportation Planning & Engineering.
Meet James Standen
I always wanted to be a farmer, my memories of accompanying my grandfather around the farm he managed are engrained in my mind. Despite his best efforts to persuade me to take up a different career I attended Wye College to study Agriculture which I followed up with an MSc in Agricultural Economics.
Meet John Remnant
I am a specialist cattle vet working at Nottingham Vet School in a teaching focussed role. I am also a board member of the British Cattle Veterinary Association and I currently chair their education group. I live in the East Midlands close to Sutton Bonington. I am originally from Cornwall and worked in mixed and farm animal veterinary practice in the South West after graduating from Bristol Vet School in 2008.
Meet Mark Little
I grew up on a mixed dairy and suckler cow farm in County Fermanagh, where my family continue to farm. I attended Portora Royal School, Eniskillen and then studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin, graduating in 2002. I worked in three veterinary practices in County Tyrone and Armagh, where my focus was on herd health and routine farm visits.
Meet Penny Montgomerie
I grew up on our family farm in Fife, before studying at SAC in Edinburgh then Aberdeen. The majority of my working life has been spent at the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC), initially as Development Manager coordinating the proficiency testing service of the Association along with SAYFC projects. In 2009 I took over as Chief Executive of the Association.
Meet Richard Walker
Having grown up on our family dairy farm in South West Scotland it was always my ambition to return home to progress and drive forward our farming operation. Since returning home to farm six years ago, alongside my brother, we have doubled our productive land area and quadrupled our milk output through developing a progressive and forward-thinking dairy farming business.
Meet Sam Martin
I have been born and bred in Hampshire and I am happy that our farm in the South Down National Park is home to my wife Anna and I and our 2 sons, Henry and Angus. I am also lucky to have a kiwi mother so have been very lucky to spend a lot of time in New Zealand and I hope this has given me an outward view on life.
Meet Sarah Pick
I grew up on a beef farm in North Yorkshire and from a young age I developed a strong interest in the agricultural industry. After graduating with a BSc in Animal Science I joined a retail graduate scheme which gave me a great insight into the sector and the importance of farmers producing a consistent product.
Meet Vicky Robinson
Growing up on an arable farm in Oxfordshire (now run by my brother and father) I loved farming but also had a passion for horses. I found a degree that combined both of these, the International Agriculture and Equine Business Management degree at what is now the Royal Agricultural University.