26 Industry News The globetrotters YOUNG FARMERS’ ADVENTURES TAKE THEM AROUND THE WORLD Melanie Epp PEOPLE CHOOSE TO TRAVEL FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. For some, travel provides a much-needed diversion from everyday life. For these travellers, comfort, rest, and relaxation are the biggest goals. For others, travel is less about the ‘getting away’ and more about the ‘going to.’ For this group, travel is likened to exploration, where the main objectives are meeting new cultures, gaining fresh perspectives, and learning something new. While the final destination is the goal, the ‘why’ that drives travel is arguably more important. It is, after all, what drives the traveller to move beyond their comfort zone. This year, four Ontario farmers set off into the world, each with a similar goal: to bring back knowledge and expertise that will help to improve their agricultural communities. Two were awarded Nuffield Scholarships; their travels have just begun. The other two travelled to Nepal in February to see first-hand what faith and charity can do for families in need. LAUREN BENOIT When Lauren Benoit, technical solutions agronomist at Bayer CropScience and District 8 (Huron) delegate, received the news that she was one of six recipients of a 2024 Nuffield Scholarship, she already knew the benefits of travel abroad. Benoit, who grew up on a small grain farm near Exeter, Ontario, completed a bachelor of science at the University of Guelph. She then went on to do a master’s degree at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus under Dr. Peter Sikkema. Funded by Grain Farmers of Ontario, her research focused on the control of water hemp in corn. Benoit worked for BASF during her undergraduate studies, assisting in crop protection research and development. Following her studies, though, she was ready for a new challenge. “When I was leaving grad school, my two thought processes were either I would do something that I already knew how to do — so small plot field research — and go far away to do it, or I would stay in Ontario and do something a little bit different,” she says. Benoit didn’t have to wait long before an opportunity came her way. Following grad school, she was offered a six-month contract working on a BASF research and development farm in Australia, where she learned a lot about different production systems under Australia’s unique conditions. She stayed in Australia for the entire year and spent time seeing the rest of the country and touring different farming operations. “It was really right at the edge of my comfort zone,” she says. “I had a hugely good experience.” Benoit expects her Nuffield Scholarship to take her even further from the comfort of home. Her study will focus on understanding research collaborations between public, private, and industry groups to leverage research dollars and knowledge transfer more effectively across organizations. “As provincial or federal research dollars get a little bit tighter, we’re going to need to make sure we’re using them as efficiently as possible,” she says. The program has already taken her to Brazil, where she saw already noted differences in corn and soybean production. She plans to travel to the Netherlands, the U.K., and back to Australia. “International travel is very good for forcing you to challenge some of your beliefs or opinions,” Benoit says. “You really start to realize how small your world actually is.” “Bayer has been fantastic to me as an employer and exceeded all my expectations when it comes to the amount of support they’ve provided to let me do this project,” she adds. Benoit is the recipient of the Grain Farmers of Ontario Nuffield Scholarship. LAUREN BENOIT (FRONT, CENTRE) IN BRAZIL. PHOTO SUPPLIED.
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