Five Nuffield Scholars from across the south-west share their experiences as 2024 applications open

Each are Nuffield Scholars, winners of a coveted $30,000 bursary which saw them undertake extensive and diverse international research to boost the agricultural industry.

The world-renowned scholarships are offered to about 80 successful candidates from 12 countries each year after a rigorous application process.

With applications for 2024 open until June 9, the scholars have each shared their once-in-a-lifetime experiences with The Standard.

For Garvoc farmer and Moyne Shire deputy mayor Daniel Meade, it's "once a scholar, always a scholar".

"It really has had an impact for life on me," he said.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To have been part of a global agricultural network and have met some fantastic people from around the world was amazing.

"What stuck with me the most was the people - I met all sorts around the world and wherever I went I learned from these people who had so much to offer. There's always something you learn from each person you meet, from both from a life and farming sense.

"Once you're a scholar, you're always a scholar and there's always events happening which keep you connected. Last year I was asked to host a agricultural program in Italy and Spain."

Mr Meade, who was awarded his Nuffield tie at an annual conference in Adelaide in 2016, travelled to the United Kingdom, the United States, India, China, Canada and New Zealand on a 16-week program.

As part of the opportunity, scholars must produce a research report. For the next year, Mr Meade had eight weeks of individual travel to research his topic - how different agricultural groups from around the world were structured and represented in order to advance the position of farmers on a political, social and economic stage.

But Mr Meade said his career aspirations were always with local government.

"I was always going to go into local government but there's a strong element of learning leadership throughout the program," he said.

"Often people who are already leaders are attracted to apply for a Nuffield as well."

For Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell, the initially-hesitant scholar found herself enthralled by a world of policy.

"I had to be encouraged to do the scholarship as I wasn't a keen traveller," she said.

"I believed with documentaries and the internet I could learn from home, so the stand out learning was nothing beats seeing and experiencing a place to truly understand the issues and opportunities."

Mr Britnell, who was 45 when she travelled in 2011, said her views quickly changed.

"It's just been an ongoing experience that doesn't seem to diminish," she said.

"It gives you the confidence of understanding how society really works and how government is related with business, how business is related to non-profits and volunteer organisations and the importance of governments and how it's structured all around the world.

"Being able to get a deep understanding of agriculture and its challenges to production across the world was what I looked at.

"To see the challenges was an extraordinary experience and one that really assisted me in the role I'm in now.

"I looked at policy around the world, I was able to meet with diplomats, go into places like parliaments all over the world, meet with agricultural ministers and looked at trade.

"To develop the relationships which are ongoing today put me in an incredible position to have links all around the world."

While applicants must generally be aged between 28-45, Caramut farmer Harry Kelly proved so exceptional he was awarded the prize aged 26 in 2019.

But lengthy COVID-19 restrictions meant he was 30 by the time he left for Singapore, Japan, Denmark, Israel and America.

"It was great, it was such a good experience," he said.

"It was so good to get out and see what the rest of the world was up to coming out of COVID. It certainly helped inform my views on what I needed to be doing to stay relevant in farming at all levels.

"I learned what farmers had to be doing to maintain their social licence to operate in the current environment of consumer demand and all those factors."

Mr Kelly said he never saw his age as a "huge barrier".

"The Nuffield is 50 per cent about the experience of having a worldwide trip gaining global experience and the other half is being part of a group of people who are all motivated to advance agriculture," he said.

"If you were a candidate sitting there in front of a panel of judges they're much more looking for whether you're someone who has something to add to the conversation."

Former Hawkesdale farmer Bill Poynton also proved to be an exception.

In 1982, just two scholars were chosen from Australia each year, but a third was awarded to Mr Poynton, aged 36 at the time.

After working at the Hamilton research station and farming in Hawkesdale, Mr Poynton said the experience helped drive him towards education, eventually lecturing in animal production at Glenormiston.

"I always felt it gave me a perspective of the world in regards to culture and trade and it drove me to education," he said.

"Being part of a free-wheeling group of people was just enlightening."

Mr Poynton said he used the knowledge he'd gained to benefit the district.

"My field of study was pasture renovation in high rainfall conditions," he said.

"By the 1980s a lot of benefits of super phosphate and subterranean clover were starting to level off a bit.

"Cropping was starting to come into the Western District and I thought it was a pity sheep were being pushed out for cereal, so I thought I'd see what we could do about the pasture.

"At the time, the UK and New Zealand were the leaders in those topics."

Dixie dairy farmer Lucy Collins, who milks a 750-cow herd, also chose to implement the knowledge she'd gained from her travel to England, Ireland, Scotland, America and Canada once home.

"I came home and did some pretty exciting developments on the farm as a result of things we saw throughout the Nuffield trip," she said.

"I was lucky that for most of my independent dairy-focused travel my husband was able to travel with me which led to more robust discussions and the exploration or application of things we were seeing back on the farm.

"My research was centred around welfare programs and bench marking. As a direct result of my Nuffield, I moved into a national role with Fonterra as animal health and welfare manager.

"I'm focused on proactive approaches to animal health and welfare on farms."