It is with great excitement that I begin my Nuffield scholarship!
Nuffield Scholarships were started many years ago in and today it has evolved to include several countries worldwide and provides scholars with the means for international travel to study a chosen topic and develop professionally in to great leaders of the agriculture industry.
It is a two year commitment including a minimum of 10 weeks travel, a written report and a presentation given to Nuffield Canada.
Scholars are expected to share their insights as much as possible throughout Canada and beyond.
I operate a mixed farm with my wife Sarah and our two children Piper, 4, Bingham, 2, and my parents Jim and Joanne Boyd.
Leaving Sarah and the kids and a busy farm makes the Nuffield Scholarship a huge commitment.
The last several years has seen many changes to our farm as we have embraced a low disturbance no-till cropping system including a management intense grazing regime with a June calving cowherd.
We try to capitalize on the synergies that exist between the grain and livestock enterprises and think that there are plenty of opportunity to expand these benefits taking a holistic approach.
As we have tried many experiments on farm and considered many more, I view this Nuffield Scholarship as an opportunity to step back from the day to day operations of the farm and try to focus my plans for the future of our farm and develop my thoughts on what the future of agriculture in Canada might look like.
I have never been as excited to be involved the agriculture industry as I am today, and it seems the hardest decision is trying to decide which direction to run and which opportunity to embrace!
This Nuffield Scholarship is made possible by the Western Grains Research Foundation and their generous sponsorship.
My chosen topic of study is: Grazing Ruminants: A Resilient Solution to Profitability and Productivity in Agriculture and Climate Change.
Please follow me on Twitter at @Glantonboyd and this website to stay up to date with my progress as a Nuffield Scholar.