Nuffield Australia awards scholarships each year to farmers in Australia. The objective is to increase practical farming knowledge and management skills and techniques generally.
These scholarships give Australian citizens the opportunity to study farming practices in New Zealand, Europe, Asia and the Americas and those countries best suited to the scholar.
A brief history
William Morris (later Lord Nuffield) left school at 12 and started work in Oxford, repairing punctures of undergraduates’ bicycles. Quite early on he showed considerable engineering skills and soon constructed his own bicycle and then a motorbike.
The first Morris car followed and he went on to found one of the great British brands of the early twentieth century at Cowley. In due course, Morris himself was made a Lord. He took the title of Nuffield from the village of Nuffield Oxfordshire where he lived.
Morris was a well-known philanthropist and in 1947 he developed Nuffield International Farming Scholars. In 1947 there were four scholarships awarded in the United Kingdom. By 2023 there had been 1900 awarded worldwide in 13 member countries over 76 years.
Although no longer sponsored by its namesake, the Nuffield programme is now supported by a wide array of government departments and corporate entities who can see the invaluable contribution of Nuffield to Agriculture.
Since 1951 there have been 80 South Australian scholars and 563 across Australia. The very first Nuffield was local farmer Bert Kelly who went on to be a member of parliament.
In fact his son Kim followed in his footsteps and became a scholar in 1978. In 1984, their neighbour Trevor Day also joined the ranks of Nuffield.
In talking to Trevor many advancements in agriculture worldwide can be credited to the Nuffield programme. The opportunities it has given are boundless.
A large percentage of scholars have gone on to run successful businesses and become involved in various forms of agricultural politics and boards. A few have gone on to be members of parliament.
There are three key elements to the program:
1. Contemporary Scholars Conference: 80-85 scholars from 15 countries meet for a week of knowledge-sharing events.
2. Global Focus Programme: a group travel experience spent in a number of different countries.
3. Research and Report: 8 weeks of research on a specific topic followed by a report and presentation of findings at national conferences.
Claire Catford – 2025 Nuffield Scholar
Claire Catford has been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship, sponsored by Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), to study thriving farmers and vibrant communities, which she describes as the “dynamic duo empowering agriculture”.
Claire sees Australian farmers and their communities undergoing significant change due to increased scale, technological adaptation, heightened social responsibility and compliance.
“Rising demands and declining communities pose challenges to the wellbeing of farmers, while also threatening access to vital labour and services,” Claire said.
Claire plans to investigate the impacts of these changes on farmers and the social structure of rural communities. Importantly, her study will explore strategies that bolster the physical and mental wellbeing of farmers and strengthen rural communities.
Claire wants to equip farmers with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of modern agriculture while simultaneously enhancing the vibrancy and sustainability of rural communities.
Many organisations, including GRDC and National Farmers’ Federation, have recognised the need to address this topic, and have embedded it
within their strategic plans.
First stop for Claire will be New Zealand in March, and later the United Kingdom and Canada, to explore the topic and identify learnings for
Australia.
Her Global Focus Program tour includes Singapore, Taiwan, Zimbabwe, Romania, Poland and Chile, in May-June. Following the Contemporary Scholars Conference, the NZ trip includes visits to two important rural well-being organisations – Farmstrong and Surfing for Farmers.
There will also be the opportunity to join in on a surfing session to learn from their success and how we can continue to support the Fat
Farmers initiative – and provide entertainment to the group through her lack of skills on a surfboard (says Claire). I’m pretty sure Claire will nail it.
How hard can surfing be?
According to Claire “the Nuffield organisation and its people have already provided great opportunities to access passionate people doing incredible things for ag – a network I am bound to benefit from for many years to come.“
Claire has been involved in agriculture her whole life and holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science. She now works at their farm near Hoyleton,
alongside her husband Dillon (whom she met whilst on an International Agricultural Exchange in Canada), his father Grant and partner Annette, and two other employees.
Claire is also keen to recognise the strong support she has had in her support network, particularly from her husband Dillon who encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone and undertake this incredible opportunity.
Moving outside of your comfort zone is where the good stuff lies and along with the learnings it will bring, she is excited for the personal growth and opportunities this scholarship will offer her and her family.
The Catfords run a continuous cropping operation producing wheat, barley and lentils. They focus on sustainability utilising no till, soil improvement techniques including delving and prescription ameliorants and have a focus on stubble retention.
Claire’s daily work in the family business, interactions with other farmers, plus her experience with the Rabobank Client Council and more recently becoming local chapter coordinator of farmer health initiative ‘Fat Farmers’ has ignited her interest in this topic.
Look out in the coming months for Claire’s updates!
