GO TO: PARTNER WITH US    PROGRAM    REGIONAL TOUR    REGISTRATION    PLAN YOUR VISIT

 

Our National Conference is the highlight of the Nuffield calendar. It is the main meeting point for scholars, investors and the broader agricultural industry and is a high-profile forum for the announcement of newly selected scholars and public presentation of returning scholar research. 

 

Following COVID19 delays, the stoic 2020 and 2021 scholars will present the findings of their scholarship research at the 5-star Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth this September and the event is open for everyone to attend. Attendees will:

 

• Hear the announcement of 2024 scholars

• Discover innovation and technologies from returning scholars

• Exchange knowledge and information with industry leaders

• Network with scholars who have been developing new innovations for 70 years

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WHERE AND WHEN? 

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• Monday 11 September: Awards Dinner, Optus Stadium. Entry via Gate D.

  • 5:45pm: Buses will depart Pan Pacific Hotel, Adelaide Terrace Perth to Optus Stadium 

  • 6:00pm: Pre-dinner drinks on Champions Terrace, Optus Stadium

  • 7:00pm: Awards Dinner in River View Room 1, Optus Stadium

• Tuesday 12 September: Conference Day 1 and Networking Reception at Pan Pacific   

• Wednesday 13 September: Conference Day 2 at Pan Pacific  

• Thursday 14 and Friday 15 September: Regional Tour, Southern WA

 

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PARTNER WITH US!

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Why not partner with us for our National Conference in WA? 

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More than 400 attended our 2019 event, which makes it a unique opportunity for your organisation to feature your product and service offerings to a highly targeted and engaged national agricultural industry audience. The strength of our Alumni network is a major point of difference of our program and is evident at this event, ensuring your investment continues to be valuable for many years to come.

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Download the prospectus now! 

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We thank our Platinum Partners CBH Group and Rabobank:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We thank additional Partners for their support:

 

 

 

 

 

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CONFERENCE PROGRAM

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PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE! 

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1) Guest Speakers 

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Mr John Woods, BAppSc, MAICD, Chair of the Grains Research & Development Corporation, will be our special guest speaker at the Awards Gala Dinner. John is partner and manager of a broadacre agribusiness based in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. He is also Chair of R&R Hire Services in Queensland, and immediate past Chair of the Council of Rural Research & Development Corporations 2019-2022. John has a history of working collaboratively with a range of public and private organisations in the investment, development, extension and adoption of new technology and innovation.
 

Other speakers:

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• Simon Stead, Chair, CBH Group 

  • Simon was appointed as a Director of CBH in 2015, appointed Deputy Chair in April 2019, and Chair in April 2020. Simon runs a mixed sheep, cattle and cropping operation in Cascade and Dalyup in the Esperance port zone.​

• Stefan Vogel, General Manager – RaboResearch 

  • Stefan's almost most 20-year career has been focused on the food, agribusiness, and trade industries. Prior to Rabobank, Stefan worked for more than a decade in strategy and market research positions with Archer Daniels Midland.​

• Kristina Hermanson, Head of APAC and Africa Nuveen Natural Capital

  • ​Kristina targets growth in the region in farmland, timber and nature-based investments across Nuveen. With proud roots on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Kristina has more than 25 years of international leadership experience, most recently as Managing Director of ANZ & ASEAN at FMC Corporation.​

• Dr Ben Trevaskis, Research Director for the Systems Program at CSIRO Agriculture and Food 

  • ​Prior to CSIRO, Ben completed a PhD through the Australian National University. He then travelled to Germany for three years for a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam. ​

• Stuart Watt, Director, Communities and National Drought Agreement

  • ​Stuart is an Future Drought Fund (FDF) Director based in WA. The Communities and National Drought Agreement team is responsible for delivery of the FDF’s 'Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Resilience' Initiative. 

• Dr Gaus Azam, Research Scientist – Reengineering Soil, DPIRD. Gaus leads Reengineering Soils project, to address multiple interacting soil constraints in the crop root zone through combining innovative soil amelioration techniques and soil profile reengineering

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2) Scholar Research Speakers

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You will hear from both 2020 and 2021 scholars, who will present the findings of their cutting-edge global research, following a long hiatus of COVID19 international travel disruptions.

 

1. James Alexander, NSW: How mixed farm businesses can solve land issues, such as reduced ground cover and soil health

2. Robert Bell, WA: Subsurface tile drainage and nutrient management to create more efficient farming practices 

3. Fritz Bolten, WA: Solutions to executing time sensitive operations on heavy wet soils during monsoon weather conditions

4. Michael Cains, NSW: Benefits of raw milk cheese production, investigating best-practice to production in the mature cheese market

5. Tess Camm, QLD: Incubating radical change within an organisation. What conditions need to exist to allow a breakthrough?

6. Luke Cantrill, NSW: Export opportunities in the ASEAN region

7. Lucy Collins, VIC: Value of dairy welfare benchmarking and opportunities for marketing dairy products with an ethical advantage

8. Jason Cotter, VIC: Grain diversity and adding value in specialist markets

9. Charles Downie, TAS: All the talk is about technology, but what about the people?

10. Kathryn Fleay, WA: Post secondary agricultural education options. Attracting people from non-agricultural backgrounds

11. Albertus Hanekom, WA: Pathways for the aquaculture and Barramundi industries to grow and better manage stock levels

12. Mitchell Henderson, VIC: Alternative fertiliser and weed control measures for grain producers

13. Harry Kelly, VIC: Multiply profitable business models, retain the right people and embrace change to become a more attractive investment

14. Sarah Keough, SA: Irrigation methods to reduce vineyard crop losses and sustain fruit quality during extreme heat events

15. Nick Krebs, NT: Attracting and retaining people into beef enterprises to help position the industry as a long-term career choice

16. Hans Loder, SA: Vineyard data collection and management options that provide the greatest value for Australian viticulturists

17. Joshua Maunder, QLD: How agriculture can adapt to rapidly changing climatic conditions through more resilient production methods

18. Dustin Pascoe, VIC: Benefits of grazing crops to fill the winter feed gap in a changing climate

19. Paula Pownall, WA: What is needed to scale insect production facilities, regulations and best practice within the emerging insect market

20. Richard Quigley, NSW: Cropping systems and methods to retain more crop residue in zero-tillage farming systems

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2) "Where are they Now?" Scholars

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Andrew Fowler, 2000 Scholar 

Andrew Fowler is a former Chair of both Nuffield Australia and Nuffield International. He and his wife Marie farm over 50,000 ha with his family outside Esperance, producing canola, barley, wheat, lamb, wool and beef, with focus on livestock and crop synergies. Andrew was awarded life membership of the South East Premium Wheat Growers Association and is chair of the Mt Burdett farm board. He studied the future for GM crops in Australia. 

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John Foss, 2001 Scholar 

John Foss is seasoned entrepreneur of the plant -based food, agribusiness and farming industries. After his scholarship, he became the founder and CEO of The Chia Company, and more recently Fancy Plants Australia, involved in production, processing, manufacturer and marketing of chia and other plant-based health foods and functional ingredients with operations in Australia, Asia, UK and USA.  He is also a founding director and chairman of Northern Australian Crop Research Alliance, which conducts crop research on cotton, corn, chickpeas, chia and other crops in the Ord Valley. John is an owner and  director of Augment Agriculture that owns, leases and manages farmland in WA.

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Tracy Lefroy, 2006 Scholar 

Tracy Lefroy is a farmer in the Shire of Moora, working in partnership with her husband, Kristin, in their diversified farming enterprise. She is also the Moora Shire President and a Director at InterGrain. With a Nuffield scholarship and extensive industry experience across a range of agricultural disciplines including as an agribusiness analyst, communications manager, and freelance agricultural journalist, Tracy brings a wealth of knowledge around the ag industry. She actively contributes to national agricultural policies as a member of Grain Growers’ National Policy Group and the National Farmers Federation Telecommunications and Social Policy Committee. Tracy has strong networks with stakeholders at all levels of government.

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REGIONAL TOUR 14-15 SEPTEMBER 

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We thank Regional Tour partner Origo for their support:

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The post-conference tour to the Margaret River region will stimulate agricultural enthusiasts keen to understand primary production in WA, and is passionately being organised by scholars in this region. Attendees will stay at Abbey Beach Resort in Busselton on Thursday 14 September, with a dinner at Eagle Bay Brewery and special guest speaker Clayton South, who was recently named one of three “best practice” sheep producers in Australia as part of a new program aimed at boosting lamb survival rates. In addition, Annie Brox, Managing Director of tour partner Origo will also address guests. Visits include:

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Katy Joy Farm (Kate Mason, 2013 Scholar) 

In 2005, Katie Joy’s Free Range Eggs began with 150 chickens and has now grown into a large business with trained Maremma livestock guardian dogs to keep their hens safe in pastured paddocks. This business also grows and supplies natural spray-free rolled oats, and red gum raw honey. Website here

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Bell Pasture Seeds (Robert Bell, 2021 Scholar)

From the 1940’s the Bell family grew sub-clover. 80 years on, and ryegrass and clover has been added to their portfolio. In addition to growing,  stocking and selling seed, they are the biggest seed cleaning operation in SW WA. They also blend and treat seed mixes with a farmer first attitude. Website here

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Fulwood Grain Company (David Fulwood, 2006 Scholar) 

Fulwood Grain Company is based at Terra Nova Farm, Moodiarup.  In a high rainfall area located 280km south-west of the businesses main base. This property is operated by Jo and David (2006 Nuffield Scholar) Fulwood, along with properties at Cunderdin and Dowerin. They focus on precision ag, continuous cropping and variable rate applications. David studied the potential to value-add commodities through branding or enhanced traceability. Facebook page here 

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The tour concludes in Perth between 6-7pm on Friday 15 September. There will be a drop off at Perth Airport for those doing overnight flights to the eastern states. Accommodation can be arranged for those departing on Saturday morning. 

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 REGISTRATIONS  

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Registrations are now closed. If you still seek to attend, please contact Event Manager Nicola Raymond via nicola.raymond@nuffield.com.au

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PLAN YOUR VISIT 

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BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION!  

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Both conference days will be held at Pan Pacific, 207 Adelaide Terrace, Perth

 

There are also a variety of accommodation options and rates within east walking distance, including:

 

• Novotel Hotel Langley, 221 Adelaide Terrace, Perth (10m from Pan Pacific) 

• Comfort Inn and Suites, Goodearth, 195 Adelaide Terrace, Perth (75m from Pan Pacific) 

• Quality Hotel Ambassador Hotel, 196 Adelaide Terrace, Perth (120m from Pan Pacific) 

• City Waters Motel, 118 Terrace Road, Perth (210m from Pan Pacific) 

• Quest East Perth, 176 Adelaide Terrace, Perth (230m from Pan Pacific) 

• Duxton Hotel Perth, 1 St Georges Terrace, Perth (350m from Pan Pacific) 

• Crowne Plaza Perth, 54 Terrace Rd, Perth (600m from Pan Pacific) 

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DRESS CODE 

Awards Dinner: Lounge Suit

• Gentlemen: Suit and tie

• Ladies: Formal wear, dress or evening pant suit

 

Conference Days: Business Formal

• Gentlemen: Trousers, shirt and tie

• Ladies: Smart casual, skirt or trousers

Regional Tour: Smart Casual

• Casual wear, with good walking shoes for farm visits

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WEATHER 

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You can expect very pleasant temperatures during the day in September. The average maximum daytime temperature in Perth in September lies at 19.5°C (67.1°F). The average minimum temperature goes down to around 6.4°C (43.52°F) (often the minimum temperature is noted at night).

Rainfall during September is moderate with an average of 50mm (2.0 inches). There are generally around 12 rainy days. If you enjoy blue skies and sunshine, then this is a great time to go to Perth with 230 hours of sun during the entire month.

 

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EXPLORE PERTH 

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Staying a few extra days around the conference? There is plenty to do! Visit: 

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• Explore Perth

• Tourism Western Australia - Perth 

• Destination Perth 

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