Many rewards on the Nuffield Scholarship journey – applications now open

Andrew Clarke’s Nuffield Scholarship journey hasn’t panned out quite as expected, which is not that unusual. Many before him have changed their study topic and itinerary after early sections of the program altered their perspectives and spawned new options.

In Andrew’s case, plans to focus on the management of subsoil restrictions became a broader look at the physical constraints of soil and he decided to visit Europe as well as the US to ‘see where we sit’.

‘Our soils are so different here in Australia, certainly compared with what I’ve seen in Europe and in Washington State, we have quite unique challenges’, he said.

‘The stewardship in Europe is so extensive, they have such an understanding of what works in their regions and we are starting to get an idea of that in Australia.’

Andrew is Chief Viticulturist at Yering Station and was the only grape and wine sector scholar among the 73 who kicked off their program last February and departed in June for an intensive 42-day tour to Singapore, the Philippines, China, Canada, the US and Ireland.

‘I travelled with a couple of dairy farmers, mixed croppers and a cherry grower’, he said. ‘It was a really good dynamic to be able to see different businesses that often none of us had any expertise in; to look at it through a different lens.

‘The conversations that you have afterwards and the chance to learn from each other’s insights were really valuable.’

Andrew was struck by how often the same issues cropped up in different industries and different countries, with access to labour and staff retention a recurring theme in agriculture and horticulture.

He also found himself answering quite a lot of questions from people in other industries around branding, ‘something that is inherent in wine, but which a lot of others industries are just getting their head around’.

Andrew described the group tour as pretty taxing. ‘You learn how to power nap pretty quickly. It’s a bit of an adrenalin rush, because when you’re on, you are always trying to be engaged. It’s a good lesson in trying to take your opportunities despite the stress.’

The individual component of the program took him to Europe last October and he has another month in the US scheduled for May / June, before completing his final report in September.

Applications for the next round of Nuffield Scholarships open on 1 April and Andrew’s advice is to go for it, but not to be half-hearted if you do.

‘You’ve just got to hand yourself over to it in some ways’, he said. ‘It’s an amazing opportunity to challenge your perspective on the world and find out what you are actually capable of. It’s a great way to increase your network and feel like you belong.’

Click here for more information about Nuffield Farming Scholarships or to apply.