Karen Wonnacott
I was lucky enough to grow up in a rural part of Devon, on a small, family-run farm, which instilled in me a love for food, farming and family that has stayed with me, leading me to pursue a career in agriculture.
While at University during my undergraduate degree in Animal Science and my PhD investigating dairy cow fertility, I learnt the value of building strong networks and seeing a project through to completion.
With a lifelong ambition to make a positive difference to agriculture, I have worked in various farming-support and advisory roles throughout my career. I take real pride in understanding the individual goals and challenges of each farm, working closely with farmers and their teams to deliver tailored, evidence-based nutritional solutions that make a difference.
I am excited to embark on my Nuffield journey, and I am very grateful to NFU Mutual Charitable Trust for their support.
Earning a seat at the farm table: building trust and bridging generational gaps
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
Study Overview
Building trust and strong relationships has long been the cornerstone of effective agricultural advice.
Whether working as a vet, agronomist, bank manager, nutritionist or other agricultural professional, our success depends on how well we engage and build trust with farmers.
Is it getting harder for farmers to trust people? Are advisors able to offer quality advice across generations within businesses, or do they relate better to certain age demographics than others? With the advent of AI influences such as ChatGTP and social media platforms including YouTube and Instagram, are some farmers learning all they need via a screen? I believe that we are experiencing a subtle yet significant change in the agricultural advisory space, and I am keen to explore what this means for the future.
By understanding more about national and international advisory services and speaking to farmers and industry professionals from the UK and abroad about how they see the advisory space now and how they see it changing in the future, I believe that we can shape farm advice here to stay relevant, deliver on numerous levels and engage with multiple generations.