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Nuffield Blog & News

2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship Awards. 

2022 Nuffield Scholars and Rural Leaders Board of Trustees

On Wednesday evening Rural Leaders hosted the 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship Awards in Wellington. This was an opportunity to formally award scholarships to Parmindar Singh, Lucie Douma and Anthony Taueki – a year later than planned. 

While it was a smaller occasion than it might have been, it was no less important. Hon. Minister Damien O’Connor, was again generous with his time. A special thank you to our Strategic Partners, Agmardt, DairyNZ, Beef+LambNZ, Mackenzie Charitable Trust, and FMG too, for their ongoing support and their help in making the evening a success.

The conversation with Partners, Hon. Damien O’Connor, Rural Leaders’ Board members (some pictured with the Scholars above), and the 2022 Nuffield Scholars themselves, was immensely enriching and overwhelmingly positive.  

The evening also provided an opportunity to thank the NZ Rural Leadership Trust Board’s Ariana Estoras – Independent Trustee and Natalie Bowie – Associate Trustee, for their commitment, expertise, and service as they step down.

The positive impact of Nuffield on the Food and Fibre Sector.

Kate Scott, NZ Rural Leaders’ Trust Board Chair, spoke of Nuffield’s impact, with statistics from the Mackenzie Study, a Rural Leaders’ collaboration with The Otago University School of Business. Some key statistics mentioned include: 

  • Nuffield Scholars hold and average of 14 senior leadership roles over their career. 
  • Over 40% have served in government leadership roles. 
  • During their careers, on average, each Scholar will hold 4 or more board positions. 
  • Each Scholar has created an average of 3.3 businesses.
  • And each creates an average of 48 FTE roles. 

In addressing Rural Leaders’ Partners Kate said, “That is the measurable impact of your support for us and of the support we are trying to give back to our sector.” 

Acknowledging the disruptive times we are in, Kate Scott said that the need for exceptional leadership remains more critical than ever. Adding that New Zealand agriculture both here and globally, is again more important than it has ever been, “Especially as we look to embark on our journey of Taiao ora, Tangata ora – if the natural world is healthy, so too are the people”, added Kate Scott. 

Kate also spoke to the need for stronger collaboration, before introducing the Hon. Minister Damien O’Connor. The Minister acknowledged both Chris Parsons, Rural Leaders’ CEO and Kate Scott, for their hard work and energy before giving an informative talk about the value of Nuffield and the New Zealand Primary Sector’s place in the world.  

Nuffield Scholar’s research topics - fit for a fast-changing food system.

Each of the 2022 Scholars gave updates on the progress and direction of their research. It was a first chance for many to hear from the Scholars themselves. 

Anthony Taueki, 2022 Nuffield Scholar with Minister Damien O'Connor

Anthony Taueki, 2022 Nuffield Scholar.

Of his research Anthony Taueki, explained that his topic ‘Pathways for the Primary Industries from the grassroots up’, had gone through many different moulds. Anthony is focussing on the vocational transition from high school to career, with particular attention to those facing challenges within the current system. 

He explained that what was currently defining his research on career pathways, were the questions, “Can you provide me with positive pathways? Can you provide me with positive culture? Can you provide me with pastoral care? And perhaps most powerfully, “Can you see me?”  

Anthony discussed the need for decision makers to collaborate, to break down the silos that exist in order to create one consistent message, to create positive sector career opportunities for all New Zealanders, “We shouldn’t be above our people, we should be beside them”, Said Anthony. 

Lucie Douma, 2022 Nuffield Scholar with Hon. Damien O'Connor

Lucie Douma, 2022 Nuffield Scholar.

Lucie spoke about how her research topic ‘Data Interoperability’ will look closely at what data farmers need to be making the decisions they need to make to meet our regulatory and environmental requirements.  

However, as Lucie explained, after beginning her already extensive travel both with the Contemporary Scholars Conference and independently too, the focus of her research was evolving. Lucie explained that the UK and Europe, as a consequence of the pandemic and lockdown, have moved significantly, with rises in food activism and groups facing food challenges.  

Lucie elucidated, that a contributing factor here is that consumers are even more disconnected from their food system. Lucie believes data may provide some solutions here. 

Parmindar Singh, 2022 Nuffield Scholar with Hon. Damien O'Connor

Parmindar Singh, 2022 Nuffield Scholar.

Finally, Parmindar Singh spoke of her pride at being a fourth generation dairy farmer and of the responsibility she has to her family before her. Parmindar’s research will look at export markets for our dairy products. It will aim to unpack what our future export markets might look like, especially given our current reliance on just a few.  

“I’ll focus on three potential markets. The first is Japan. The second is Singapore. The third is the United Arab Emirates. All very different, though all gateway markets”, explained Parmindar.  

Parmindar went on to add that her research will focus on how people consume dairy in these countries, look into their culture, their economics and how the political context impacts social stability in these countries. 

The 2023 Nuffield Scholars announced in two months.

As the 2022 Scholars now progress with their travel and research, a new group of Food and Fibre Sector leaders have started their journey to selection to the 2023 cohort.

We’ll announce the selected 2023 Scholars in November, when the next Nuffield Awards are to be held.

Lynsey Stratford: Changing how we work for better outcomes.

Listen to "Changing how we work – a Nuffield Scholar’s perspective." on Spreaker.

Ideas That Grow: Lynsey Stratford, 2021 Nuffield Scholar.

Lynsey Stratford has discovered farmers make a few assumptions that aren’t very helpful – like accepting the fact that work might be dangerous and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. As Lynsey explains, “There are changes we can make, but those assumptions and those mindsets have been deeply held for quite some time.” 

As a consultant, Lynsey helps the primary sector with people management and development services and training. And, when it comes to health and safety she says, “We shouldn’t expect people to just know this stuff, but rather teach them and support them as they develop skills.” 
 
Lynsey’s research report unpacks the paradox that while farmers care about their people, farms as workplaces are overrepresented in fatal accident and injury statistics. So, what can be done to improve this?

Bryan Gibson – Editor of Farmer’s Weekly.

I’m Bryan Gibson, editor of Farmer’s Weekly. Today, I’m talking to former lawyer, consultant, and dairy farmer, Lynsey Stratford. How’s it going? 

Lynsey Stratford – 2021 Nuffield Scholar, Curio Bay, Southland.

Good thanks. Nice to talk to you.

Digging deeper with a Nuffield Scholarship.

Bryan: What have you been up to?

Lynsey: I’ve been up in Christchurch with Rural Leaders, to celebrate the end of the scholarship programme for the 2020s and the 2021s.

Bryan:  Fantastic. As you mentioned you are a recent scholar. What made you choose the Nuffield Scholarship?

Lynsey:  To be honest, I applied just after our first COVID lockdown. Like everybody, I’d been thinking about what I enjoy doing during that time – being stuck inside. I love to travel and learn new things. I’ve always looked at the Scholarship and thought that the stories from previous scholars sounded like a great experience and opportunity.  
 
I didn’t really think I’d get a scholarship, but I thought, what the heck, let’s give it a go, and if nothing else it’ll be an interesting experience. I was very surprised and honored to be selected as a scholar for 2021.

Bryan: And what sort of area did you want to study? 

 Lynsey: I love working with people in the primary sector. I went into the scholarship thinking I would look at health and safety and providing better workplaces for people that are more productive and engaging for better health and wellbeing outcomes. 

My project ended up being called ‘Super Humans, Not Superheroes’. It looked at how we do all this fabulous stuff in the sector, but we’re probably asking a bit too much of ourselves. We expect to be superhuman, and our teams too. 

With a slightly different approach to structuring work, we could support better outcomes that are more engaging, create better work, more productivity, and still improve the health and safety of our people.

Challenging and changing mindsets toward on-farm workplace safety.

Bryan:  Working in the farming world, it’s a relatively dangerous place and it can be somewhat isolating at times. What sort of strategies do people need to try to work into their businesses to make it better for people? 

Lynsey: I guess the good thing is most are low, or no-cost, so you can make quite big changes without spending a lot of money. The key to it all is mindset.  
 
What I found was that farmers have some assumptions that aren’t very helpful. We accept the fact that work might be dangerous. We assume there’s nothing we can do about it. And that’s not right. There are changes we can make, but those assumptions and those mindsets have been deeply held for quite some time. 

Farmers don’t think they’ll ever get hurt. They think other people might. Generally, we don’t think that we are prone to accidents. So, we don’t really take any steps to manage the risks that there are in our work. We tend to normalise the fact that it is a dangerous occupation and so we don’t try and challenge that by changing how we work.  

If you’ve got family or team members who think that way, that’s a good place to start. We need people to help us understand that there are things that we can do to organise work better. So, lots of the time, we’ll be told what to do, but not necessarily the why or the how. And that’s just good team communication.  

We shouldn’t expect people to just know this stuff, but rather teach them and support them as they develop skills. 

Bryan: I guess an engaged work team is probably going to not only be more productive, but also be happier and safer, would you expect? 

An engaged farm team means thriving workplaces and better outputs.

Lynsey: Absolutely. There’s some shocking statistics from Gallup, who looked at engagement across the world. For New Zealand, only 20% of our workforce, and this is across all sectors, is fully engaged. If you’ve got a team of five people, that’s only one giving everything they’ve got.  
 
So, yeah, if we can tap into engagement, it’s better for people. They feel like they’ve got some control and they’re growing – they like to be there. So, if you’re an employer, those people will go that extra mile for you because they want to be at work and they feel passionate about it. 

And engagement is, if they feel you care about them, that they’ve got some control over how they themselves can organise their work. That they’re growing and developing – those are all things that we can improve if we start to think differently about how we organise work. 

Bryan: I guess what you’ve just been talking about feeds into the ‘why’ you’re there. If there’s a bigger goal that everyone is working towards, then that can help, can’t it? 

Lynsey:  I guess that’s where we’ve gone a bit wrong. In the past we’ve focused on compliance, but we haven’t seen these wider benefits of good work. And there’s some interesting stuff that’s been done by the Business Leaders’ Health & Safety Forum by Hillary Bennett. It said that if you improve how you set up work, train people, you’ve got good processes, so they understand their role, and their responsibility, and how to change how work gets done – if you do all those things well, you improve mental health as well.  
 
So, that’s another component of this, that we’re looking at wellbeing as well as physical health and safety. 

Bryan: People who are engaged, feeling good about themselves are probably going to produce better work and be safer when they do it, aren’t they? 

Lynsey: Yeah. And be on the thriving end of the spectrum of mental health, instead of the just surviving space – or not surviving at all. So, that’s what we want. We want good work that sets us up for thriving people and great farming. 

Bryan: So, you’ve just finished then? 

A different kind of Nuffield Scholarship experience.

Lynsey: Yes. We had an experience that was interrupted somewhat by COVID. So, it’s been a very weird scholarship experience because it’s kind of backwards. Usually, you do your international travel, and then you produce your report. Ours will be the other way around. But I think our experience, although different, has been just as good.  

What we did was travel as a cohort. So, the 2021 scholars linking in with the 2020 scholars. We traveled through New Zealand, from Northland right down to where I farm in Curio Bay, Southland. We did the length and breadth of New Zealand together. 

Then we did our research independently, but with as much as we could face-to-face. A lot of it had to be remote via Zoom. So, now I get to go and do my international travel through August, September, and October. 

Bryan: You might want a rewrite afterwards! 

Lynsey: I think that’s the aim. We kind of validate what we’ve seen, and if there’s anything we need to change, we’ll revisit. 

 
Bryan: And that’s exciting. I mean, the travel component is a big part of the scholarship. Where are you off to? 

Lynsey: My group goes to Japan, Belgium, Ireland, and California. 

Bryan: Well, that’s an exciting thing to look forward to. 

Lynsey: Yeah, it is. It’ll be a Northern Hemisphere trip in the summer. So, that’s also quite exciting now, as we sit here in Invercargill. 

Bryan: When you’re not knocking out your report as part of your Nuffield Programme, what does life look like for you? 

Lynsey: I’ve been married to a Kiwi dairy farmer for nearly 20 years now. Being on farm with him was a big part of life until recently. We sold our farm effective 1st of June. Now, we’re kind of redefining where we go and what we do, but I’m also a mum, which is very important to me.  
 
I’ve got two children that I like to focus on. I like to try and support them with school things and support our local community too. And then I also have a small consulting business that helps primary sector businesses – but all sorts of businesses manage their people. 

From cows to consulting – a farmer advising farmers.

Bryan: What sort of consulting or advice do you offer businesses? 

Lynsey:  So it’s interesting because I started out as an employment lawyer in the UK. There I was focused on compliance and getting agreements, policies, procedures and following all the legal requirements.  
 
I still do all those things, but I’m much more focused on trying to improve work setup so that we’ve got engaged teams, great communication, good processes. We’re training people and developing them, making sure that the behavior we’ve in the workplace is setting up a great culture that engages people. So, I’ve moved away from just focusing on the compliance. 

Bryan: I think that’s a move the agricultural and horticultural industries in New Zealand need to complete still. A lot of the reaction I get at the newspaper to health and safety reform, or regulation is that it’s just a hassle, a box-ticking exercise, whereas if you do change that mindset into creating a space where everyone can thrive, then that’s when the goal is going to be reached. 

Lynsey:  That’s one of the things I concluded in my research. It has been sold to us as a compliance exercise – but it takes a lot of resource to change mindsets. It’s not that easy. And so, the easier thing to do is to set us up for compliance, make sure we’ve got the plans in place. But if we really want to make change, it’s that mindset that we need to focus on. We need resources to do that.  
 
We need great people connecting farmers with good information that helps them understand the opportunity and ‘the why’ for them, whatever it is. That then supports them to develop the skills they need. And it’s not something that we can nail in one workshop or one interaction. The resourcing really needs to be there, and it needs to be long term. We’re talking about generational change if we want to change mindsets. 

I guess I’ll just give a shout out to Ben McLachlan. He’s a 2020 scholar and his report is about mindsets that help us change. He’s looking at the growth mindset, which I found was critical to getting great workplaces.  
 
A workplace where we’ve got a growth mindset is one where we understand that people can develop new ways of thinking and new skills if we give them the opportunity and the right support. I was stoked when I saw his work, as it aligns nicely with mine as well. 

Bryan: That leads into my next question about the community that being part of the Rural Leaders team builds among those who are working through the same cohort? 

Lynsey:  We were lucky. Talking to previous scholars, they have often got their scholarship, briefly met the New Zealand cohort, then gone overseas and developed relationships internationally – but not quite as tight a relationship with the New Zealand scholars.  
 
I think we’ve been lucky that we got that chance to spend time together, because of COVID. It’s the silver lining. It’s been amazing to see the projects that the scholars came up with across those two cohorts. Some of the best opportunities were the discussions that we had in the van as we toured New Zealand visiting leading businesses. Thanks to all those scholars who talked to me and shared their views.  

Bryan:  Excellent. So, the programme is something that you’d recommend to other people? 
 
Lynsey: Absolutely. It’s not easy. To do anything like this where you are basically challenging things that you thought or your beliefs in how the world works, that has been a challenge. But it’s been a unique opportunity too. I just can’t think where you’d get the chances that we got to visit all these amazing businesses.  
 
We went to certain Rocket and Aerospace businesses. I didn’t even know we had these kinds of businesses in New Zealand. If you want to stretch your assumptions and learn some new things and meet some awesome people, I thoroughly recommend it. 

Bryan: Thanks for listening to Ideas That Grow, a Rural Leaders podcast. This podcast was presented by Farmers Weekly. For more information on Rural Leaders, the Nuffield New Zealand farming scholarships, or the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, please visit ruralleaders.co.nz. 

Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships

The future of food and fibre is in the hands of our bold and our grounded people – those who give back to their communities and industries.

Sound like you?

Register your interest to find out more.

Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme takes its 1,000th step forward.

Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme - Delivery Team

Can I have your attention please – the one thousandth graduate of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme has just left the building!

Like the graduates before, they return to their family, community, industry, and to contribute to a sector that just got a little smarter, a little stronger.   

We’ll know more about the scale of the Kellogg Alumni’s collective impact as we get closer to completing the Mackenzie Study with the Otago  School of Business.

The first stage of this Study revealed remarkable personal and sector gains attributable to participation in the Nuffield Scholarship. The second stage should show similar results for Kellogg. After all, it has evolved over decades to be one of the most respected rural leadership programmes in Australasia.  

“People know the programme. It’s respected. They’ve seen the contributions that the Kellogg graduates have made over time”, says Dr Scott Champion, Programme Director. 

“It’s enormously significant. Obviously, there are other programmes that contribute as well, but you can’t deny the programme’s longevity. It has impacted on large scale now – we’ve just had the 1000th Kellogg Graduate.  

“Depending on whether we do two or three programmes, that’s somewhere between 45 and 65 Scholars per year. You start to build quite a community”, adds Scott Champion. 

Kellogg, a leadership programme spanning six decades.

The programme was initially developed in collaboration with the Kellogg Company in the US, as a way to enhance global leadership capability. Since then Kellogg Rural Leadership programme was reinvented many times over, keeping up with the challenges and the times. It delivers New Zealand centred syllabus, accredited by Lincoln and Massey Universities and delivered by the Rural Leaders.

In 2013, Kellogg was transferred to the newly-formed New Zealand Rural Leadership Consortium. This merged with the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship to create a single organisation. Four years later, the consortium became a registered charitable trust and changed its name to the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders). 

A partnership known as the Pāhautea Initiative was formed in 2020 between Lincoln University, Massey University, AGMARDT and Rural Leaders. The initiative focused on building leadership capability in the regions, with the aim of creating a sustainable future for Food and Fibre.  

More recently, Kellogg academic accreditation through both Lincoln and Massey Universities has become available to those who undertake the Programme.

Kellogg offers new networks, friends and industry connections.

Rural Leaders deliver up to three programmes a year, with two based at Lincoln University. The other, in alignment with the Pāhautea Initiative’s aim of growing flourishing regions, is the same Lincoln Programme, only regionally based.  

Numbers are kept low to ensure a transformative experience, as the Kellogg journey is as much about learning from fellow scholars and developing a pan-sector network of friends as it is being exposed to industry leaders and new ideas. 

“For many Kellogg scholars, the enduring relationships and access to a network of like-minded change agents offers the most decisive outcome from the Programme. There’s a strong sense of trust, reciprocity, and a ‘pay it forward’ attitude which emerges amongst participants, says Phil Morrison, Kellogg Facilitator. 
 

The Kellogg eco-system of support and delivery.

The Kellogg team is passionate, dedicated, and ably steered by Chris Parsons, Rural Leaders’ CEO. Lisa Rogers, Programmes Manager, Annie Chant, Operations and Events Manager further support Scholars and Kellogg facilitators Dr Scott Champion and Phil Morrison, Dr Patrick Aldwell and examiner Professor Hamish Gow.  

The team work hard to provide a varied and stimulating learning experience.  

The Programme is delivered over three phases and includes two papers, the first of which requires the completion of specific assignments. This is delivered by Dr Scott Champion and Phil Morrison. 

The second paper, delivered by Dr Patrick Aldwell, involves completing a research project and giving a presentation at the end of the programme.  

Kellogg pushes beyond Primary sector boundaries.

On the first day of Phase One, Scholars are asked an important question. 

“On the first day they come in to the programme, we ask them, what’s the one thing you want to hit by the end? And then on the last day, we ask them what was most valuable thing to you through the programme?”, It’s a before and after comparison of perceptions of value,” says Dr Scott Champion. 

The results of this survey reveal where the true value is. One Scholar coming into the programme states, my one thing would be ‘…to find where I fit.’ At the end, that same Scholar says their most valuable thing was ‘the connections made with fellow Scholars and the greater Kellogg network’. Fit found perhaps. 

“It’s something you see really elevating as Scholars go through. And I think that’s evident in what they talk about as being most valuable to them. They often come in with something quite narrow and specific, like ‘I want to learn how to do X’, but when they leave, it’s about networks, understanding systems, understanding stuff beyond the boundaries of the sector they work in”, adds Dr Champion. 

Develop a questioning mindset with Kellogg.

On Phase One, Scholars embark on a nine-day, eight-night residential module based at Lincoln University, or potentially closer to home for the regionally based programme.  

This phase sets the foundations. It explores leadership skills and tools, including personal and team styles, design thinking, and critical analysis. Leadership applications of skills are also covered in various situational contexts, along with leadership strategic contexts – with a focus on New Zealand Food and Fibre Sector strategies and leadership challenges. 

Most importantly, underpinning this is the active encouragement of Scholars by facilitators, to develop a questioning mindset. 

“We play a video on the first day of Phase One, where a guy is saying, managers are defined by the things they know, leaders are defined by the questions they ask. It’s a 30 second clip, and it just nails it for me”, says Dr Champion. 

“We’ll often see comments in Scholars’ reflection journals from Phase One like, Oh, man, I thought I needed to know everything. But perhaps I don’t need to know everything. I just need to be able to think and ask questions.” 

Kellogg builds the confidence to engage with food and fibre leaders.

What Kellogg does so well is to expose Scholars to industry leaders. All of these senior people are eager to engage in conversations, and look to Scholars as the next generation of leaders, hungry to learn about the things they need to be thinking about. Kellogg creates a new interface for that knowledge transfer.  

“There’s often a reticence when senior or experienced industry people get in front of Scholars, to engage in a conversation, to ask questions. I completely understand that. So, what we’ve deliberately tried to do is reduce the monologue from the front, and increase the opportunity for questions. And then give them a real nudge to speak up. Scholars soon discover these people are very approachable,” says Dr Champion. 

“So experientially, we shift beyond just the head learning, to the heart learning. They think, I can do this, it was alright. That industry leader seemed to think that was an interesting question.”  

Scholars also make contact with industry leaders themselves, particularly during the individual research projects. Engaged people from a range of industries often respond to Scholars’ questions within 24 hours, and are more than happy to do interviews to help with research. 

“I think it speaks to the brand and standing of the Programme. There’s an opportunity to use the Kellogg brand to be able to talk to industry people and have some conversations that you might not otherwise be able to do”, says Dr Champion. 

Kellogg Scholars - from lifelong friends to lifelong learning.

Throughout the Programme, Dr Patrick Aldwell, Academic Director, works closely with Scholars to help them complete an individual research project. This is undertaken between Phase One and Phase Three.  

Scholars choose a topic of interest that also contributes to developing leadership outcomes and aspirations. The project brings together problem definition, research tool application, critical analysis, report writing and presentation. 

Dr Aldwell fosters a philosophy of lifelong learning with Scholars, and for many this begins with the research and reading disciplines acquired doing the research project. 

“That’s something that you need to adopt to be a leader. And the key part of that is reading widely”, says Dr Aldwell. 

On the programme the facilitators demonstrate to Scholars the importance of the lifelong learning piece, particularly in the critical thinking and critical analysis area, gathering different perspectives, seeking information, and evaluating its value and authenticity as well. 

“If there’s one key thing that’s changed in the last two years, is that we’ve gone from just comparing and contrasting information, and the status of that information, to comparing, contrasting and evaluating it,” adds Dr Aldwell.  

Dr Aldwell explains that one huge benefit he has seen arise from individual research is that Scholars gain at least one specialist area of knowledge, to the extent that in some organisations, they’ve become the go-to person for that area. Whether it’s dealing with anything from waste in the dairy industry, to succession planning.  

“That’s not just the knowledge and capability side of things, but also the ability to access, evaluate and produce credible information and analysis in an era of rising misinformation, and disinformation, the politicisation of those, and of knowledge,” states Dr Aldwell. 

Kellogg is an executive leadership programme gearing Scholars for success.

On the Programme’s remaining two phases the foundations built in Phase One guide Scholars strongly.  

Phase Two’s five day, four night residential in Wellington, looks at how to engage and influence decision making at local, regional and central government and industry level.  

Phase Three’s five-day (four-night) residential at Lincoln University, is the culmination of the project work, where Scholars demonstrate the application of research, presentation and critical analysis skills.  

A final goal setting for the future piece includes personal brand identification and provides the platform for ongoing learning and leadership development. 

“I get a real kick out of watching the Scholars succeed in life, because I do follow them, watch them grow, and develop. Seeing them have confidence to take the next step, no matter what that is. I’m constantly astounded at the energy they have, the strength of character they have, to see things through,” says Dr Aldwell. 

Who is the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme for?

Many Scholars who come into the programme, are in the transition from a technical management role to generalist management role.  

“The things that get you through that technical pathway, which is typically about knowledge and excellence, these are not the things that are necessarily going to equip you for the next generalist bit,” says Dr Champion.  

The programme helps leaders make that transition, whether they’re slightly beyond that, right on the cusp, or whether that might be something for them in the future.  

Arming Scholars with the ability to understand and make connections in ways that others can’t predict, or don’t. This is the alignment between what the programme does and equipping people to progress in their careers.  

“The best Scholars, leave able to join the dots, and make connections across areas that might seem quite disconnected when you first look at them. They’re able to lift above, like the specifics of the context of something, and think quite strategically about it”, notes Dr Champion. 

“They see connections across sectors or issues and that helps them think about opportunities, risks and challenges in quite different ways. The ability to do that as a leader is an enormously helpful thing”, adds Dr Champion. 

Rural Leaders’ bigger picture and Kellogg’s role in it.

The Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, The Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship, and the Value Chain Innovation Programme exist for one reason – to grow leaders with the ability to deliver the changes in food and fibre that ensure our communities, country and planet flourish. 

This isn’t just a version of a line on a website – 1000 Kellogg graduates, our rural leaders, are delivering that change. In the coming months we’ll share the Mackenzie study’s findings on their impact. There’s unlikely to be too many surprises. 

Dr Champion concludes,

“We have a collective intent in the Kellogg Programme, where we want to see Scholars contributing back to the sector and rural communities and ensuring the wellbeing of the regions and their people.” 

Value Chain Innovation Programme.

Delivered by Rural Leaders and Lincoln University.

The Value Chain Innovation Programme will begin in November 2022 with applications closing in just over six weeks’ time on 18 September. 

Learn directly from New Zealand’s most successful value chain leaders. 

Delivery partners Rural Leaders and Lincoln University have together curated an exciting and varied series of value chain case studies across dairy, arable, horticulture, and more.  

By completing this programme you’ll learn directly from the source, gaining unique insights into food and fibre innovation, in both domestic and international markets. This is an opportunity to interact and learn from leaders who have a track record of successful entrepreneurship.

“Increasingly the most successful value chains are those with business models closely aligned to their customers, use protected IP, and provide innovative shared value structures”, says Lincoln University Professor, and Programme Co-facilitator Hamish Gow. 

As you advance through the programme you’ll compare and transpose thinking at a time when the primary industries are going through the biggest period of transformational change since the 1980’s.  

What do you gain from doing the Value Chain Innovation Programme? 

By participating you’ll grow your know-how in the following ways: 

  • learn about value chains and models 
  • learn how to generate and capture value 
  • meet key industry leaders and make connections 
  • learn from Co-facilitators Professor Hamish Gow and Phil Morrison ONZM, both with deep knowledge of NZ and international value chains 
  • form a high-trust cohort of lifelong friends. 

“If you’re in food and fibre, now is the time to be gaining a pan-sector view of as many successful business models as possible”, adds Prof. Gow. 

The programme runs over five weeks, two of which are spent on the road. The remaining time is spent on an (optional) individual research report.  

“The time commitment is 100 hours on field trips, guest lectures and networking, online lectures and discussions, tutorials, and another 50 hours of self-directed learning,” said Prof. Gow.   

The Value Chain Innovation Programme delivery team. 

“As a global leader and thinker in value chain design, innovation and entrepreneurship, Lincoln University’s Professor Hamish Gow is uniquely qualified to impart deeper strategic learning and insight into November’s programme”, says Rural Leaders’ CEO Chris Parsons. 

Co-facilitator Phil Morrison, ONZM, further strengthens the delivery team, “We are also fortunate to have Phil onboard. He brings a different leadership perspective, drawing on a career in military command, and in the delivery of innovation, strategic and leadership training as a consultant. With both Hamish and Phil, we couldn’t hope for a stronger team”, added Chris Parsons. 

Building the Food and Fibre Sector’s leadership capability.  

The programme will give you the competencies, confidence, and networks to influence change and lead transformation at an enterprise level and throughout regional New Zealand.   

“We hope this programme will lead to positive, larger scale change as our graduates continue to grow and contribute to a fast-changing Food and Fibre Sector’, said Chris Parsons.

Ready to grow your business, understanding of value chains, and how NZ’s Food and Fibre Sector works? 

For more information visit the site below or contact Lisa Rogers at lisarogers@ruralleaders.co.nz 

Applications are open until 18 September and can be made at ruralleaders.co.nz/value-chain/  

Lucie’s Nuffield US travel so far – in less than five minutes.

Lucie Douma. 
 
Soon after Lucie Douma and Parmindar Singh returned from their Nuffield CSC in the UK, Lucie was traveling again. This time in North America.  
 
Lucie is four weeks into her US trip that has so far covered: California, Illinois, Wisconsin, and more. Lucie is currently in Texas and will round out her travel visiting Washington DC, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. 
 
Lucie is gathering information and insights on her Interoperability work. The working title of her research topic is On-farm data management and governance: Creating a system and understanding where farmers benefit from data. 

Here is Lucie’s Nuffield travel in the US so far – in less than five minutes.

Note – some posts have been edited for brevity. 

Start of July 2022

The start of my next Nuffield journey couldn’t be better. A group of international scholars were in a Fourth of July parade in the town of Clarksburg, just south of Sacramento. I felt welcomed by the local community and it is great to see such strong support for farming here. 

CA berries
California TM
_0021_LD CA Vineyard_
_0023_LD CA wheat
_0020_LD CA field

Clarksburg, California.

First half July 2022

We had a fantastic wine tasting at Tom Merwin’s vineyard. We heard how his farm maintains a competitive advantage. The most value for his business comes from his wine club subscription, where he has a direct link to customers rather than having to go through intermediaries. 

He explained more about his 1200-acre farming operation; 650 in vines and the remainder in arable (wheat and safflower). And we were also able to talk all things data. 

In the region of Clarksburg, California, they have a high-water table and two rivers nearby. Because of this they don’t have the water take restrictions the rest of California does. 

Tom takes a lot of time to make sure he is ahead of the game, always looking at how he can do things better or differently. For example, he’s experimenting with growing all-natural blackberries (no herbicides or pesticides), which will be sold at a local farmer’s market. 

_0006_LD CA Salinas

Salinas, California.

First half July 2022

Spent a fantastic day in Salinas with Dennis Donohue and Walt Duflock at the Western Growers Technology and Innovation Centre. 

We met some inspiring people including Norm Groot who is working hard to ensure future water availability for County ranchers and growers. 

We also heard from Church Brothers’ Joshua Reed, who is empowering his people by sharing the data from their vegetable and leafy green growing so his staff can maximise yield production. He has managed to increase yields overall by 20% by using and analysing data. 

Dennis Donohue thank you for a fantastic visit and organising the day so well for us!  

_0012_LD CA Fresno group
Lucy Duoma Fresno almond orchard
_0011_LD Fresno tomatos_

Fresno, California.

Mid July 2022

What a time to be in California. Elisa Blanco and I had the pleasure of spending the morning with Wendy Larson and her father, Glen Anderson, on their 20-acre organic almond orchard, that sells direct to customers. They helped establish the organic almond industry. 

In the afternoon we had a tour of a much larger 8000-acre property, Terranova Ranch, Inc. They grow crops from organic tomatoes, peppers for Subway, red and white onions, to almonds and pistachios. This was an impressive operation, and they work hard to ensure water resource is managed well.  

Then for my final day in California it would’ve been remiss of me not to see the Muir Woods’ towering old growth redwoods. On to Chicago now.

_0028_LD Chicago bananas at Whole Foods
_0027_LD Chicago Meat section
_0026_ LD Chicago Cheese Section
_0025_LD Chicago probiotics
_0024_LD Chicago wines

Chicago, Illinois.

Mid July 2022

First day in Chicago. I took a trip to a Whole Foods store where I noticed the New Zealand wine on offer. This is a store where country of origin is really important and those that shop there want to see who they are supporting and what they are supporting. Like the bananas shown – supporting students through their scholarships.  

Whole Foods also have their own certified animal welfare standards where the meat is traceable to farm. It is also hormone and antibiotics free – like much of New Zealand’s meat. 

_0002_LD Stevens 1
_0003_LD Sevens XX3
_0004_LD Sevens XX2

Champaign, Illinois.

Posted about one and a half weeks ago. 

The crops in Champaign, Illinois are predominately corn and soybeans. One farmer is looking at a third type of crop, miscanthus, which is a reedy type of grass and is used in biomass fuel and cut up into chips for turkey bedding.  

This is an interesting third crop that could be worked into the rotation of these fields, but there needs to be an increase in demand for it. Possibly the rise in fuel costs will do this? 

The innovation in machinery here is at the point where corn can be planted at 13-16kmph. This means 80 acres (or 32 hectares) of corn can be planted in one hour! The machinery is so impressive! 

Also you cannot be in the rural country of the US without going to a local community fair, with the tractor and truck pulling! Thanks to the local farmers for inviting me to go with them. 

Also posted about one and a half weeks ago. 

I spent a great day with the Champaign Farm Bureau and the corn and soybean growers in Illinois, this is part of the USA corn belt, and they rely on rainwater not irrigation for crop growth.  

The weekend before I arrived, they finally had some rain. Before this the crops were looking dry and the corn was starting to curl. 

The farms here have grown significantly in size over the last decade which has happened in line with increasing machinery size. They have much larger machinery here than New Zealand because the landscape is so flat. They can get 18m wide heads on their combines. 

The day ended with a BBQ put on by the Farm Bureau. Thirty local farmers took part at an unused grain elevator. The Farm Bureau then announced some funding they had received from the federal government to improve rural broadband and to encourage more use of cover crops. 

Thank you to everyone who made me feel so welcome here!  

Fair Oaks, Indiana.

Mid July 2022

Today filled me with lots of hope. I went to Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana where they are doing a fantastic job educating the public on where our food comes from.

They have three farming systems they teach the public, a dairy farm, a piggery, and crop farming.

The dairy operation was both conventional and robotic milking. They milk 2800 cows in one facility, split between a 72-bale rotary (that operates 24 hours a day) and robotics. With the milking robots they have 12 robots milking 800 cows.

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_0008_LD Wisconsin Madison fields

Madison, Wisconsin.

Late July 2022

I met a great leader today; someone I truly look up to. Dr Molly Jahn is a Programme Manager in the Defence Sciences Office at DARPA. Previously she was Under Secretary of Research, Education and Economics at the USDA. 

Her work at DARPA looks at the wider risks and opportunities in the global food system. I got to spend three hours with Molly and her husband discussing the food system. They also took me on a tour around the Wisconsin area and explained the diversity of the food system there. 

This was a real honour for me and shows the doors that the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship can open. 

_0001_Dr Jacqueline Applegate - President of Bayer Crop Science
_0000_Bayer

St. Louis, Missouri

Second half July 2022

The last few days have been full of fantastic conversations around the food system. From the potential of GMO crops to continue to feed our world, to speaking with Dr Jacqueline Applegate, President of Bayer Crop Science North America, about the climate change weather patterns we are currently experiencing. And finally, on to conversations around building more resilience in our food system with senior professors from the University of Illinois.

The University of Illinois is a leading agriculture university and is heavily involved in supporting the agriculture community with new research. Their Farmdoc website is used to share information, resources and tools with farmers.

Next stop – Texas.

Thank you Rural Leaders, their partners, and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for making this all possible!

Lucie discusses her Nuffield study with 2021 UK Scholar, Chris Manley.

Posted about five days ago by Chris Manley, 2021 UK Scholar. 

Data Interoperability – struggling to get systems to work together? Not sure how to analyse and make the most of your data? What is the value of your data? 

Thank goodness my fellow Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust Scholar Lucie Douma from Nuffield New Zealand is travelling the world to bring some clarity to some of these questions. 

I was delighted to catch up with Lucie to hear how the research is going and to hear her views on leadership.

Nine tips to nailing your Nuffield application. 

1. Identify Nuffield’s goals.

As simple as it sounds, applicants often don’t fully understand what the broader goals and objectives of Nuffield are.  

If your application is written with consideration to ‘giving back’ for example, this will go some way to increasing your chances of gaining an interview. 

2. Get your Nuffield referees sorted soon.

There’s still time to get your three referees locked in. This is something that often needs a little time, so if you don’t have three lined up yet, make it a priority. 

3. Include what you’ve done for your rural community or assisting others.

Tell us about it. We’re often surprised to learn of the above and beyond participation some applicants have done without mention in their application.  

Have you served on any boards, committees, in any community organisations? Any rural groups, or in any voluntary capacity? Have you written any articles?

Dig, think, tell us. 

4. Keep an eye on the close date – 17 August.

For some reason time seems to be getting away on us all at the moment. This next few weeks will be no different. Take five minutes to plan your approach to applying.  

Start planning what needs to be done and by when. Aim to finish on Friday 15 August – or sooner. 

5. Get in touch with our Programmes Manager.

Our Programmes Manager can help you through any queries you may have. she’s within earshot of CEO Lisa Rogers, so you get Lisa’s 8+ years’ experience as well.

We just asked Lisa for a gem, and she said, 

“Be very explicit about what being awarded a Nuffield Scholarship will allow you to do for the sector, not necessarily what it will do for you.” 

Who knows, five minutes on the phone with the Rural Leaders Team, or a quick email, might be the difference.

6. Focus on your strengths.

Find ways to both answer the questions accurately and get your ace cards down. 

An average application isn’t necessarily a badly written one, however, it is definitely one that doesn’t get across how suited you are to being a Nuffield Scholar. That said, you might want to pay attention to this next tip for a well written application.

7. Check your application.

Spell check. Grammar check. Read check – how does your answer sound when read aloud?

Check the questions. Check your answers. You get the idea.  

8. Read a few back issues of the Rural Leader.

Not as strange as it sounds. The Rural Leader has much information entwined throughout  that may spark topical responses to application, and potentially, interview questions.  

Of note are the Ideas That Grow podcasts and Alumni in the Spotlight articles. School up – read the Rural Leader. 

9. If you know a Nuffielder, get in touch with them.

As Kate Scott, 2018 Nuffield Scholar, said of the Nuffield Alumni, (they are) ‘A network open to you picking up the phone or flicking them and email’.  

Kate may have been talking about being part of the Alumni, but if you know, or know of, a Nuffielder, reach out and ask their advice.  

Good luck with your application. 

Hamish Murray: Building stronger on-farm teams by getting out of the way.

Hamish Murray podcast - Building stronger on-farm teams
Hamish Murray podcast - Building stronger on-farm teams

From Bluff Station to Cambridge University and back.​

This transcript of the podcast was edited for clarity.

Bryan Gibson – Editor of Farmer’s Weekly. 
I’m Bryan Gibson, editor of the Farmer’s Weekly. And this morning I’m talking to Hamish Murray. How’s it going? 

Hamish Murray – 2019 Nuffield Scholar, Bluff Station, Marlborough. 
Good. Thanks, Bryan. And you?

BG: You’re in Marlborough, is that right? 

HM: We are an hour south of Blenheim, 45 minutes north of Kaikoura on the east coast, inland at Kekerengu. 

We’re a high-country sheep and beef farm that stretches into the Clarence Valley. The Homestead is about five minutes from the coast and goes all the way into the base of Tapuae-o-Uenuku. It’s about 35 km’s to the back boundary. We run Merino sheep, Hereford Angus cattle, and we have about 800 beehives. 

BG: How have things been going this year for you? 

HM: We’ve had a great season with 300mm of rain through late January, early February. It’s meant our autumn has been incredible, and stock are in good condition. We’re through the bulk of our work now. It’s starting to quiet down for the next five weeks before we look at shearing ewes at the start of August. 

BG: I noticed from your bio you went to Cambridge University? 

HM:  Yeah. I suppose like many farmers at one point, you were told to get out and go and do something other than agriculture. And so, I spent a lot of my former years trying to give myself an opportunity to do anything other than be a farmer.  

I was sitting on a train on the way to a job interview in London, after graduating from Cambridge. It was then that I realised I really wanted to be back in New Zealand chasing stock around and being part of the farming community. I wanted to give our children the opportunity to grow up with the same experiences as we had. 

BG: How was that time in the UK at university for you? Must have been quite eye opening. 

HM: I was fortunate to get the opportunity to study there. I played a good level of sport playing in the varsity match on a couple of occasions while studying economics.

It was an incredible experience. It pushed me mentally as far as I could have been pushed. The expectation to perform and to be part of that was a great challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look back on it fondly. 

Hamish Murray at Bluff high country station

Pushing your limits and personal growth.

BG: And in 2019 you went through the Nuffield Scholarship Programme. 

HM: Again, fortunate to be given the opportunity to do some travel. I felt that when I was in the UK, I was on a student budget. So, I didn’t really get the opportunity to do the travel that I would’ve liked while I was there.

The Nuffield Farming Scholarship gave me the opportunity to look at agriculture in different parts of the world with a whole lot of like-minded people.  

My topic was to look at teams and what made certain businesses successful or workplaces more enjoyable and engaging for staff. 

I had a real challenge about five years after coming home from overseas. We had a significant drought here in Marlborough and North Canterbury, and it pushed me to an emotional breaking point. I’d played top level sport so I knew, physically, how far I could push myself.  

Studying at Cambridge I’d reached that mental breaking point also. My limits had been challenged there. But I’d never had an emotional breaking point like this drought caused. I’m not unique in that. Everybody has these challenges. At that time, I exhausted myself trying to keep our team, our staff, and our family going. 

That was a significant point for me. I became focused on how to better lead myself first. That grew over the next couple of years as we recovered and then grew into how to better lead our teams.   

Hamish Murray at Bluff station

Nuffield study and building better teams.

My focus at the time of the Nuffield was around productive, efficient, and effective teams. What makes some places more engaging and motivating for staff to work in.

Then with Nuffield I was lucky enough to look at businesses all around the world that were held up on those pillars. What made them different, what made them tick, and what might that mean for the future of work in New Zealand – in the ag space, especially. 
 
BG: So can you talk a little bit about who you looked at and what some of the keys to building a successful team might be? 
 
HM: With my Nuffield travel I got to see businesses in the Netherlands healthcare industry that had developed these self-managing teams called Buurtzorg. I spent time in Silicon Valley too, looking at a lot of tech companies.  

Everywhere I went, I was looking at teams and what made them successful. And then coming home, I spent time with the Crusaders looking at what made them different. How have they been able to win multiple championships, seemingly pulling from the same talent pool as the rest of New Zealand.  

BG: And were there some takeaways from that can be applied to the agriculture situation? What sort of changes did you end up making, say, in your own business to overcome the sort of challenges you had with the drought?  

Building self-awareness and self-aware teams.

HM: A lot of what I learned was building on those challenges we had been working through. Self-awareness was a huge one. Building self-awareness together as a team was significant for all these businesses. They found their own individual ways to work together on the soft skills that make teams work well together.  

People don’t leave a job necessarily because they don’t like it. They leave the job because they don’t like the boss or their workmates.  

 “So much of what we focus on is the technical stuff in doing the job, rather than working on working together.” 

How do we best understand the individual attributes that people bring to a team? Little things as simple as how do people like to learn? How do they like to communicate? For example, what do I look like on a good day? What do I look like on a bad day? And how to come up with strategies as a team to overcome those things. 
 
BG: You mentioned the Crusaders and Scott Robertson’s approach to coaching and team culture. He seems to find out, as you say, the best way to do knowledge transfer, depending on that person’s mental makeup. And that’s part of the success, isn’t it? 

HM:  Absolutely. One example for me was the way every business or every super rugby franchise has their values in big print somewhere in their changing room so that everyone sees them. It’s kind of the way that people do it.

The real gold comes from when you spend time to work out with people what those values look, sound, and feel like.  

Until you dig deeper with your individuals. As the people in your team change, how does that look, sound, and feel for those particular people at that time? That makes these things come alive and become more of an ingrained part of your culture. 

BG: It seems that the world we live in now seems to be more challenging for both individuals and workplaces. So, this kind of approach and strategy, if you are running a team, is only going to become more important.

The Nuffield Scholarship and creating the space to grow.

HM: Wellbeing is important but being able to bring your whole self to work is even more so. As you get away from the hierarchy of things, people want to be able to turn up. They don’t want to be a different person at work than at home.  

To truly understand people, we’ve got to listen and ask better questions, and get to the bottom of truly understanding them. Then we can build a safety network of people around them, allowing them to flourish in our workplaces. 

BG: So you obviously enjoyed the experience of going through the Nuffield Programme? 

HM: I couldn’t recommend it enough. One of the greatest challenges for me, and one of the biggest learnings, was being able to set our business up with our team to create the opportunity for staff to step into that space. Then I could be away for nearly five months.

They really grew into that opportunity, by me getting out of their way, yet still giving them enough support.  

I think that’s been one of the greatest growth opportunities for me – is create the space for our team to step into. They’ve thrived in that opportunity. 

We haven’t gone back to where we were before. That has been significant and enjoyable for me. And when I look back on the opportunity, the travel, the study, and the chance to look around and gain many ideas from many businesses around the world – it was fantastic.  

“When I think back on what the greatest significance has been, it would be the growth in our team and in our business, simply because of being able to get my own ego out of the way.” 

BG:  Among all of what we’ve been speaking about, there was the earthquake down your way, too. That must have been a massive challenge. 

HM: It was, yes. We had four of six houses rebuilt. I was away, so my wife and three kids were living in a cottage while our house was being rebuilt. Jess managed the rebuild, looked after three kids who were just five, three, and one – while I was traveling around the world with Nuffield.

Yes, there were lots of challenges in that – but lots of growth for all of us too. 

BG: Teamwork with a capital ‘T’ there. Good grief. 

HM: Yeah. Very lucky, very grateful. And it’s nice to be able to repay some of the faith that people have put in me. 

BG: Thanks for listening to Ideas That Grow, a Rural Leaders podcast. This podcast was presented by Farmers Weekly.

For more information on Rural Leaders, the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships, please visit ruralleaders.co.nz/nuffield.

Connect with Hamish on LinkedIn.

Lucie Douma: Entering an unknown future – 2022 Nuffield CSC – Norfolk, United Kingdom

Lucie Douma, 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Scholar

Lucie Douma

2022 Nuffield Scholar

I was lucky enough to be at the first Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) to take place as the world is starting to see out the other side of the Covid pandemic. It was quite surreal to be with two-years’ worth of scholars (roughly 140 people) from 15 countries, all in one place for eight days. Considering most of us have not travelled for more than two years it was a bit of re-learning how to travel and manage the new ‘Covid’ rules. But it felt normal again. This feeling couldn’t be bet.

The feeling of returning to normality comes with a number of new challenges. These global challenges affect all of our agriculture systems and our farmers. The challenges we are facing are:

  • Two weeks before the CSC took place, Russia invaded the Ukraine.
  • Dealing with the aftermath of the world being shutdown for two years from Covid, and the damage this has caused to our respective supply chains.
  • The implementation of Brexit and creation of new Free Trade Agreements with countries.

These large challenges were common themes to all of our discussions during the conference.

How do we navigate this new world from Norfolk?

We also spent a significant amount of time at the Norwich Research Park which is home to pioneering research and solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges including; food shortages, an ageing population and climate change. The perfect place for us! Here we tackled some big questions from potential meat free days to water shortage.

Innovation in agriculture in Norfolk can be seen at the Food Enterprise Park where Fischer Farms has begun work on a £25m project to build the world’s largest vertical farm. The vertical farm will be 25,000sqm of stacked growing space for salad leaves, herbs and other fresh produce for supermarkets.

Fischer Farms claims they will be able to produce the same amount of food in its four-acre building as would be possible on 1,000 acres of conventional British farmland. What does this mean for conventional British farming? The question becomes, is there room for both and how do they co-exist? This is what Tristan Fischer (CEO of Fischer Farms) tasked us with designing a solution for.

Tristan Fischer, CEO of Fischer Farms

Learning from other scholars

I greatly valued learning from the other scholars on the challenges they face in their countries with agriculture. It was heartening to hear that we face similar challenges. However, having read through other Nuffield reports these challenges were already recognised 5-10 years ago.

One example is the vegan movement, which is getting worse and there is now a greater level of activism amongst vegan and environmental groups who appear to have coalesced in some areas (including the UK).

If this is a sign to come, then in New Zealand we really need to be thinking how we can reduce our rural-urban divide. How do we encourage more participation in our agriculture sector? Is there a role for data here? This will lead me through to the rest of my research on data interoperability and the value of data.

Thank you to Rural Leaders and all those who support Nuffield for enabling us to travel to Norfolk and come together as a global community to address some of our big challenges in the sector. The experience and what I have taken out of it is invaluable, including all the new friends I have made.

Ngā mihi nui.

Parmindar Singh: 2022 CSC Insights – Norfolk, UK

Parmindar Singh- 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Scholar

Parmindar Singh

2022 Nuffield Scholar

Background

The 2022 Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) was held during March 2022.  Nuffield 2021 and 2022 Scholars travelled from 15 countries and were hosted in Norfolk, UK.  Prior to our departure in March the New Zealand Government announced their plan to relax border restrictions, welcoming New Zealand residents back to New Zealand.  With this announcement we had the opportunity to attend the CSC in the UK and represent Nuffield New Zealand. 

Pre-conference, Lucie Douma and I spent time with Nuffield Scholars David and Christine Hill in Norwich. David and Christine introduced us to agriculture to Norfolk, where we visited their arable farming business, visited friends of the Hills who were dairy farmers in the village and toured the local town and village getting an insight into farming in Norfolk.  David and Christine shared with us their farming and family history and the challenges the UK farming sector was facing.  

Farms in the Norwich area consisted of generational farming with long-time family connections to the land and estates. Larger estates like Holkham Hall consisted of variable farming and commercial enterprises and considerable land ownership. These estates are well recognised in the UK, along with their family ownership and heritage and in some circumstances their association to the House of Lords. 

The UK Farming Situation: March 2022

The Russian invasion on Ukraine, has created a global humanitarian crisis.  In the UK, it signified the immediate concern for food security and the additional pressure on farmers who had already been challenged over the past two years.  Spiralling input costs were front of mind, particularly with wheat, fuel, energy and fertiliser costs.

Russia’s significant control over the supply of gas though the UK and the EU, imposed not only an increasing input cost on farm, however also increasing household and living costs.    General conversation with the UK public, posed an anxious population with the on-going impact of covid-19 on businesses and the additional pressures from the Russian invasion on the Ukraine.  It was interesting to note, that although the general UK population was sighting increasing food costs in the supermarkets, when comparing UK super market food costs with New Zealand super market food costs, it appeared that the cost of food in the UK was significantly less that the cost of food in New Zealand.

Additional changes in agriculture in the UK also reflect the transition from the long-standing EU scheme of agricultural subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy [CAP]) to the phasing out of the subsidy scheme with the exit of the UK from the EU. Post Brexit, the UK is navigating the challenges of staff shortages and increasing costs of production (which are likely to see the cost of local produce continue to increase), creating additional pressure for UK farmers.

Regenerative Agriculture was a topic discussed often and referred to as an opportunity to restore soil health and the quality of waterways, whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enabling a healthy ecosystem; expanding the conversation of the global environmental challenge.

UK dairy farmers also expressed the increasing pressure and scrutiny they were facing from the public on environmental and animal welfare issues.

The CSC Agenda

The CSC agenda included presentations from agricultural leaders, identifying agriculture and the food of the world, British agriculture in a global setting, the impact of agriculture on climate and the global environmental challenge.

The all-important health, safety and wellbeing also featured on the agenda, with some real-life take-home messages and scenarios.  A visit to the Norwich Research Park, highlighted the research and innovation undertaken in searching for solutions to worldwide challenges in food-related disease and research into plant sciences and species. 

We also visited the Norwich Food Enterprise Park.  This park has been created to encourage and support food production, processing and agriculture through co-location of commercial enterprises. Our visit to the park provided us with an opportunity to participate in a small group activity to come up with solutions to challenges four businesses in the park were facing.  It was a great way to learn about real case scenarios and learn about a group of diverse agricultural businesses. 

A visit to Houghton Estate and Dairy was enlightening, hearing from two enthusiastic farmers about their journey.  Holkham Hall & Estate, was the final destination in Norwich.  Holkham was somewhat surreal, with history dating back to the 1600’s and a family estate that was built for the 1st Earl of Leicester in the 1700’s.  The Estate consists of 25, 000 acres, with business ranging from agriculture, holiday park, retail to property development. 

The final few days of the conference were spent in London, with a visit to the Houses of Parliament and a celebration to mark the closing of the CSC Conference with a Gala Dinner. 

Group photo Nuffield CSC 2022

Learning from Global Scholars

The CSC offered the opportunity to engage with global agricultural leaders.  Learning from other scholars about their country and their agriculture was a highlight.

Such a diverse group of agricultural enthusiasts, ranging from: cows, camels, poultry, crocodile, pigs, vineyards, horticulture, bees, deer, sheep, flowers, arable, sheep and beef to agricultural service and technology providers and developers (no doubt there was more).  From the opening of the CSC on March 7th to the closing of the CSC March 14th, each day, a country group would present agriculture in their country.

Learning about how countries engage in agriculture and listening to the proud country men and women talk about their work and their countries work back home, was a great start to every day at the CSC.  

NZ Farming vs UK Farming

UK is farmed according to landscape, water availability and weather/climate conditions much like NZ.  Norwich for example consisted of predominantly arable farms, with variable crops (dominant crops included: wheat, oilseed rape and sugar beet) and forward negotiated contract agreements.  Arable farms consisted of large fields and it was interesting to note that some fields were planted with more than one crop simultaneously. 

Although the EU is recognised as a leading exporter of Dairy alongside New Zealand and the US, the UK was not seen as a leading exporter of dairy, conversely more of a domestic producer.  New Zealand exports more than 90% of domestically produced dairy products and revenue exports contribute significantly to the New Zealand economy.  The UK reports significantly less contribution to its national economy from its agricultural exports.

Across the UK, dairy farming appears to be more predominant in the South.  As with NZ, some dairy systems are more complex than others and weather dictates the type of dairy system applied.  The dairy farms we visited in Norfolk, housed their animals in barns, which appeared to be the dominant form of dairy farming system applied in this particular region in UK. 

New Zealand Brand Reputation

CSC participant and fellow scholar feedback consistently focussed on a global perception of New Zealand producing premium agricultural products, with a focus on grass fed and an organic style of farming where products can be traced back to origins of a country that cares about their environment and animal welfare.  “New Zealand punches above its weight”, was a consistent and humbling message from many fellow scholars. 

My insight from the conference and travel, was that New Zealand is profound at producing premium quality food.  Globally we are viewed as leading in all thing’s agriculture and we are seen as a country who cares about environment factors and animal welfare.  We have a great story to tell, and we are getting better at telling it! 

Lucie Douma and Parmindar Singh reporting from abroad.

After a two-year hiatus courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Contemporary Scholar Conference (CSC) finally took place this year, in Norfolk, UK. Lucie Douma and Parmindar Singh, 2022 Nuffield Scholars, attended and reported back on the event and their travels. The following article brings together these reports.  

As part of their scholarship programme key milestones, they also compiled a brief insight work report.

Follow the links to read Lucie and Parmindar’s Insights Reports.  

The 2022 Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference.

“Lucie Douma and I represented New Zealand this year. The Contemporary Scholars Conference was a great way to start the global aspect of our Nuffield Programme. The Conference provided an opportunity to meet global agricultural enthusiasts and build new network of connections,” says Parmindar Singh. 

“Our hosting region, Norwich, is predominantly arable farming with notable long time family estates. The landscape, climate and access to water very much determines land use and production. 

“Before the CSC, Lucie and I were very generously hosted by Christine and David Hill. David is a Nuffield Scholar who is still very active in the Nuffield community. David travelled the world to study biotech crops. His wife was a science teacher and very involved in agricultural education and research and is also actively involved in several Norfolk organisations working in this filed. They manage their 500+ha arable farm. 

“David and Christine showed us around their neighbourhood, we visited a local dairy farm and learned about the Hill’s arable business and family history,” shares Parmindar. 

Our hosts, Christine, and David Hill had introduced us to Norwich and to some of the Nuffield Team.
Our hosts, Christine, and David Hill had introduced us to Norwich and to some of the Nuffield Team.
Our hosts, Christine, and David Hill had introduced us to Norwich and to some of the Nuffield Team.
Our hosts, Christine, and David Hill had introduced us to Norwich and to some of the Nuffield Team.
Our hosts, Christine, and David Hill had introduced us to Norwich and to some of the Nuffield Team.
Our hosts, Christine, and David Hill had introduced us to Norwich and to some of the Nuffield Team.

Sharing New Zealand with the world.

New Zealand, our farming systems, and the positioning we have on global markets was part of virtually every conversation Lucie and Parmindar had at the CSC. This was driven in some part by a presentation Lucie and Parmindar gave to those attending. This was a brief overview of the New Zealand food and fibre sector. 

“At the start of each day of the CSC, representatives of all participating nations were asked to share a short presentation of the agricultural sector in their respective countries. In all cases the ten-minute time limit was not enough, and we were no different,” shares Lucie. “For our presentation, Parmindar opened with our values and understanding towards agriculture and how we incorporate the principles of Whakapapa and Kaitiakitanga.  

“I did the second half of our presentation and covered the key statistics of farming in New Zealand and shared our vision of fit for a better world.” 

Parmindar adds, “ Learning from other scholars about their country and their agriculture, was always a highlight of the day. To be given the opportunity to explain more about what we do here at home was a time for reflection on how proud I am to be a New Zealand farmer.” 

The CSC business hackathon.

One of the initiatives included in the conference programme was the so called “business hackathon” where each group of scholars visited four different businesses over one day. 

“The visits started with a 20-minute induction about the business followed by a specific challenge. Then as a group, we had to come together with a result – a solution to the challenge. We then had to present this to our hosts at the end of each session,’ explains Lucie Douma. 

“It was an interesting way to get to know more about some of the notable businesses in the region. I really enjoyed the exchanges we had during the hackathon with the other scholars and the local business community,” adds Parmindar. 

Norwich Research Park
At the Houses of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster with Aussie friends

Two years’ Nuffield Scholars get together.

This year’s conference was the first after a two-year hiatus caused by Covid restrictions around the world.  

“It was great to have two years combined – instead of having 60 or 70 people, we had 140. Also attending were the 2020 UK Scholars and we got to meet some of the alumni,” recounts Lucie. 

Parmindar agrees, “All in all, CSC was a full-on conference, where we had the opportunity to meet passionate and enthusiastic global agricultural leaders.   

“Many scholars commented on how New Zealand punches above its weight and has created a name for itself as a premium agricultural production powerhouse. It seems we are known as a small country with a notable place in the premium agri-products market. 

“We also touched on many global issues around climate, water, and soil management along with political tension particularly with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the associated concerns for global food security. 

“We’ve both been reflecting on the last few weeks and feeling very privileged to have had the opportunity to engage with whanau from across the globe! Thank you Nuffield New Zealand, the CSC in Norfolk was invaluable,” concludes Parmindar.

Lucie’s post-conference travels: North England, Scotland, Shetland Islands, Norway and the Netherlands.

Young Farmers Club, Shetland Islands - dog training session
Training session for a sheep dog, Shetland Islands
Transporting stock to shetland Islands
Angus fruit farms, Carnoustie, Scotland
Angus fruit farms, Carnoustie, Scotland
Yorkshire dales
Salmon farm in Norway
Salmon farm in Norway
Salmon farm in Norway
Salmon farm in Norway

After the CSC, Parmindar travelled back to New Zealand to organise further travel plans for later in the year, while Lucie had the opportunity to further explore the United Kingdom and Europe. 

She went to Wales, where unfortunately she tested positive for COVID and had to spend a week in isolation – giving her time to reschedule her itinerary.  

“I went up through Northern England to The Lakes District and spent some time with farmers in Cumbria, and North Cumberland.  

“What really struck me is that people were facing similar issues to what we do in New Zealand. Almost all farmers who have similar systems to us, are facing the same challenges with labour access and input costs. It’s a global problem, not a localised one. 

“In Scotland, I visited Angus Soft Fruits. These growers supply 15 to 20% of all the fresh berries to UK supermarkets. It was interesting to talk to them and hear about the challenges they face with Brexit, and what they are doing to secure the labour they need to harvest. They need roughly 400 seasonal workers over the main picking period.  

“They have contracts with growers in other countries like Morocco, Spain to ensure year-round berries are available for the UK supermarkets. It was informative to hear how they are dealing with the realities of modern farming,” says Lucie. 

“The next stop was the Shetland Islands – probably the most eye-opening time I had. They farm so differently to us here in New Zealand, it’s a more community-based approach they have built there; where everybody supports each other,” explains Lucie.  

“They don’t have the same labour challenges as larger farming operations do, because they operate as one community, they operate on mutual support – helping each other in times of need. That really came across in my conversations with the people there. They have an active young farmers group  and I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with them. I really enjoyed that,” concludes Lucie. 

Next on the schedule was a visit to a Norwegian salmon farm. “This is an industry that has risen at pace and scale over the last few decades. The wild salmon population around the Norwegian coast numbers 500,000. This farm has 11 cages with the capacity to hold 1.8 million salmon and there are over 1000 farms in Norway such as this one. 

They are very advanced in some respects. When it comes to data management, similar issues exist around data interoperability of systems as with the agriculture sector. Biosecurity is an important issue for them as well,” adds Lucie. 

Lucie then headed to the Netherlands, but not before experiencing full Norwegian blizzard. 

The Netherlands had a highly advanced agriculture sector. From traditional horticulture and animal farming through to developing new industries, including camel milking.

Netherlands_camel
Lucie Netherlands_web
Lucie Netherlands 2

Land-use change in the Netherlands means incorporating energy production into the systems. Some arable farms where busy building large wind turbines and other farms had solar panel fields incorporated within them. Lucie visited advanced farming barns where the whole rood was covered in solar panels.

“With the Russia-Ukraine conflict, energy production and self-sufficiency has come to the forefront of farming. All farming systems I visited were diversified in some part, and they all had a farm shop in order to share the story of their produce and build strong connections with the local communities,” recounted Lucie.

You can read both Lucie and Parmindar’s Insights Reports here.