The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust has announced the appointment of 24 new Scholars for 2025.
Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust is a registered charity with an aim to inspire passion in people and develop their potential, all aiming to lead positive change in farming and food.
Two of the 24 new appointed scholars are in the pig sector.
Gregor Bruce is involved in running his family’s arable and pig farm in Aberdeenshire. His keen interest in technology has driven him to enhance farm processes by using data insights.
With figures on the best-performing pig farms ever increasing, Gregor would like to understand where the upper limit lies regarding litter size, what impact this could have on gestation and farrowing, and management strategies to support sow and piglet health.
He has been supported by the John Oldacre Foundation to produce his study with the title, “the last generation of pig farmers boosted sow productivity 50%. Can we do the same? And should we?”.
Ben Lowe runs a mixed farm in Aberdeenshire with arable and pig enterprises. As a business, their goal is to ‘close the loop’, with every enterprise benefiting other parts of the business to create a sustainable and resilient farm.
Through his Scholarship, Ben would like to understand how to efficiently rear a pig in a circular farming system to produce a sustainable food resource at scale, which is also resilient to external influences.
McDonald’s UK and Ireland is supporting Ben on his study titled, “closing the loop – driving a circular farming system in a mixed pig farm”
Over the course of their Scholarships, they will travel internationally to gain an in-depth understanding of their study topic from global experts and leaders.
“Applications this year were incredibly strong, which made the job of our selection committee particularly challenging,” said Rupert Alers-Hankey, Director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust.
“This is my first year as director and I have been so impressed by the cohort of 2025 Scholars, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors.
“The list of topics the Scholars have chosen to explore is inspiring and reflects some of our industry’s most pressing challenges.
“Nuffield Farming Scholarships help develop future leaders in the UK’s agriculture and rural sectors. There is no doubt in my mind that the 2025 Nuffield Farming scholars will lead positive change in Agriculture”.
The trust will officially introduce their latest cohort at the Nuffield Farming Conference, to be held in Belfast in November.
The 2025 Nuffield Farming Scholars are;
- Ben Andrews from Leominster, Herefordshire.
- Sam Brook from Chichester, West Sussex.
- Gregor Bruce, arable and pig farmer from Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
- Charlotte Cole from Richmond, North Yorkshire.
- Alex Crawley from Lydney, Gloucestershire.
- Sioned Davies from Builth Wells, Powys.
- Laura Eden from Ripon, North Yorkshire.
- Natasha Edwards from Sandown, Isle of Wight.
- Edward Fane Trefusis from Sidmouth, Devon.
- Awal Fuseini from Gloucester, Gloucestershire.
- Peter Green from Truro, Cornwall.
- Mollie Gupta from Woking, Surrey.
- Laura James from Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
- Ben Lowe from mixed farm in Aberdeenshire with arable and pig enterprises in Foveran, Aberdeenshire.
- Sharon May from Tadley, Hampshire.
- Tom McVeigh from Debenham, Suffolk.
- Andy Moore from Bristol, Somerset.
- Dave Oates from Helston, Cornwall.
- Stuart Oates from Helston, Cornwall.
- Andrew Richardson from Uddingston, South Lanarkshire.
- Peter Roe from Dumfries, Dumfriesshire.
- Archie Ruggles-Brise from Braintree, Essex.
- Lucia Slack from Penrith, Cumbria.
- Ali Warren-Walker from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.
Applications for 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships will open in January 2025.
Tickets for the 2024 Nuffield Farming Conference in Belfast are now available to purchase. The conference is open to all and a connection to Nuffield Farming is not required. Ticketing and further details can be found on the Nuffield Farming website.
