Shannen and her husband Alex at Bairds Malting in Pendcaitland, Scotland
Congratulations to Shannen Davies (nee Barrett) for completing her Nuffield scholarship! Shannen’s scholarship was funded by the Processed Oat Partnership (POP) – an industry-led program supported by the WA Government and GIWA. The POP aims to provide a foundation for growth in the WA oat industry over the next 20 years, and Shannen’s insights along with the world-class R&D being conducted by POP stakeholders, is making this a reality. Read more about Shannen’s experience.
Over the past 12 months I have been so privileged to travel to some incredible places as part of my Nuffield Scholarship.
Throughout my travels I’ve gained insights into oat production, market opportunities and trends. I met with some very knowledgeable people and hopefully have gained some useful information to include in my Nuffield report to help us capitalise on the opportunity of oats.
Beyond the knowledge specific to oats, this experience gave myself and my husband Alex the opportunity to step out of our bubbles and think differently and bring some new perspectives back to our careers and farming business.
A few key learnings from our visits:
– Grow more with less – A recurring theme was the pressure to produce more food with fewer resources—less land, fewer inputs, and a smaller workforce. The delicate balance between producing safe, affordable food for a growing population and protecting the environment was a challenge that was evident in every country we visited.
– Adaptability is key – Control what you can control. Adapt to the challenges such as unpredictable weather and market volatility. We had conversations about the need to be flexible and have multiple contingency plans – think outside the box, whether that is around thinking differently about structing the business to grow, finding niche markets or looking for different marketing opportunities
– Attracting and retaining staff – How do we encourage and welcome people into the ag sector and keep them engaged and passionate about the industry? Labour shortages and specifically finding the right people was a challenge that arose again and again. We heard some great success stories of creating a fun and meaningful work culture, giving staff responsibility by giving them their own fields and herd.
– Sustainability – We had many interesting discussions about its meaning on farms, within agribusinesses, and the impact of government policies on farming businesses. The term varied among those we spoke to. For some, it meant organic farming systems; for others, it meant having an efficient and profitable business. What stood out to me was how practices differed from country to country, a practice that works in one region or farming system may not work elsewhere, so policies on sustainable farming must be tailored to specific climatic conditions.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who welcomed us into their homes and businesses. We met some truly inspiring individuals and formed lasting friendships.
As I start to distil my learnings and write my report, I feel a touch of sadness knowing this journey is almost over. However, submitting the report won’t quench my thirst for experiential learning and travel. I’m sure I’ll be embarking on many more mini ‘Nuffield’ trips throughout my life.
I can’t begin to thank Nuffield Australia and my sponsor the Processed Oat Partnership and The Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA) along with InterGrain for the support.