travelling together. The groups have the opportunity to closely examine agriculture in up to seven countries, literally making their way around the world as agricultural explorers. For many participants, the GFP broadens their horizons, cements friendships, and lets them understand other cultures and countries on a deeper level. Upon completion of their study, Nuffield Scholars prepare a final report presented at the Nuffield Canada annual general meeting to Nuffield Canada board members, alumni, and supporters. Reports are available to read online at www.nuffield.ca. Blake Vince, a grain farmer from Merlin, Ontario and a 2013 Scholar, remarks that participating in the Nuffield Scholarship program was a life-changing experience. Vince is currently the chair of Nuffield Canada. “I’ve luckily been afforded multiple opportunities to be invited as a speaker at an international level,” says Vince, whose research topic Conserving Farmland with Cover Crops and Biodiversity, is a top-of-agenda topic for farmers in Canada and around the world. It is important, he says, for the information and expertise that Scholars gain on their travels to be widely shared with audiences back home and abroad. “We don’t want our Scholars to take what they glean on their travel and be proprietary — it’s supposed to be shared widely for the benefit of everyone,” he says. 2024 GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO SCHOLAR Travelling internationally is not new for Benoit — before joining Bayer Crop Science, she worked for BASF, including as a field biologist coordinating a 56-trial field research program in Australia. So, the opportunity to travel, learn more about international agriculture and study the impact of research investments globally made the Nuffield Scholar program a perfect fit. “I learned about the Nuffield Scholarships in university,” says Benoit. “I heard Leona Watson (a Nuffield Scholar) speak about her experience. I’ve also had some close friends and colleagues go through the program. Everyone I know who has done it, has had great things to say about it.” Career-wise, three years into her job at Bayer, it seemed like the right time to apply. Benoit says Bayer has been incredibly supportive of her participation in the program. She is eager to get started on her project, with plans to start by having conversations with industry colleagues here in Canada starting in December. Her international travel will kick off in March at the Contemporary Scholars Program in Brazil. “I hoping to take a little extra time around that to visit some of Bayer’s research facilities down there,” says Benoit. Returning to Australia is at the top of her travel agenda, where she’d like to connect with scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia's national science agency and innovation organization. She’d also like to visit cereals and grain breeding facilities in Mexico and developing countries to see if there are any synergies and programs that she can learn from. From there, she will organize her travel based on her project priorities and the schedule of the GFP. Benoit acknowledges, though, that it will be difficult to narrow down where she will travel. “There are more places that I’d like to visit than I’m reasonably able to,” she says. l ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 29 NOVEMBER 2023 Nuffield Canada is part of a larger Nuffield International community, which includes Scholars from Australia, Ireland, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. In 2016, the Grain Farmers of Ontario's Nuffield Scholarship was launched. In addition to Benoit, four scholarships have been awarded. 2016: Tony Balkwill Developing soil type maps into management zones 2017: Nicole MacKellar Brand commodities that are further processed into ingredients 2019: Mark Brock Farmer-to-farmer collaborations 2020: Amy Cronin Risk management strategies Crosby Devitt, Grain Farmers of Ontario CEO, was a Nuffield Scholar in 2012. Devitt studied the Future of Grain Research Partnerships. The historical list of all Canadian Nuffield Scholars, with links to their respective research papers, can be found at www.nuffield.ca/scholars-reports. • NUFFIELD SCHOLARS
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