Nuffield #2: East Anglia
My trip to East Anglia was a brilliant start to my studies. It was great to see the links between racing and dairy, and to make contacts to continue that learning throughout my scholarship. Old Hall Farm gave me a first taste of cow- calf contact dairy in a practical setting, and has answered many of my questions about the feasibility of such an approach while raising many others. On the conventional side I was reminded of how much straight forward integrated dairy and beef systems would be were the whole country on a four year tb testing interval, and I picked up some excellent tips on sexed semen use. I saw the scope and potential of using livestock to improve soil health, and the challenges and opportunities of being dairy farmers in a predominantly arable area. The farmers I met were brilliant and inspiring, and I am hugely grateful to them all for taking the time to speak to me and to show me their cows and farms.
Nuffield #1: Around the World in 80 Zooms
It is now April, six months from the letter which told me that I was a Nuffield Scholar, and physically I haven’t taken a step off the farm in Ceredigion. Digitally however I have been around the world, speaking to farmers, scientists, students, and industry professionals from New Zealand to Canada. In the COVID world, travelling is done online.
Nuffield Scholarship Q&A
Last October I was incredibly lucky to be offered an opportunity to complete a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, kindly sponsored by the Elizabeth Creake Charitable Trust and a Young Nuffield Award. My topic is "Can the UK improve the ethics of its dairy calf management whilst retaining profitability?" and I hope to share my experiences as it unfolds.