in early September, Jim Geltch and Ireturned to the US to build on the

relationships established earlier thisyear during the Contemporary Scholars Conference in Washington DC and Pennsylvania.

We met again with Russell Redding, Secretaryof Agriculture for Pennsylvania, exploring furtheropportunities for co-operation. Along with a group

of six scholars - travelling on one of the threeGlobal Focus Programmes this year - we alsovisited The Noble Foundation, situated at Ardmore in oklahoma.

an innovator and philanthropist

The Noble Foundation was established in 1945,two years prior to the Nuffield Scholarship schemeand, as with Nuffield, by an equally greatinnovator and philanthropist.

Lloyd Noble entered the oil business as ayoung man. Specialising in drilling, his incrediblesuccess was due to his ability to access newtechnology that enabled him to drill faster anddeeper than his contemporaries. To access hisexpanding enterprises, scattered across the USand Canada, Noble embraced aviation. It wasfrom this vantage point that he could witness firsthand the poor farming practices taking placebelow and their impact on the land. Suchpractices resulted in the dust bowl of the 1930s,and the terrible human and environmental costthat it entailed.

Noble was deeply trouble by what he was seeingas he flew over; not only the human cost, but alsothe fact that the farmland being degraded would beproducing, and be depended on, long after the oilbeneath was all gone.

What set this man apart was that he dedicated alarge part of his fortune to the advancement ofagricultural research and extension –with farmerswithin a 100 mile radius of the Ardmore facilityreceiving a free service from this world class facility.

Scholars and their guests can look forwardto a truly memorable Scottish experience atthe 2010 Annual Conference. If scholarsfrom other parts of the globe findthemselves in the UK in November andwant to join us, we would be delighted tosee you.

Jack Ward, NFSt Chairman

Nuffield Calendar

5-6 November 2010 Nuffield Conference Edinburgh Nuffield UK

27 Feb - 5 March 2011 CSC Auckland, New Zealand Nuffield International

24 - 27 March 2011 Autumn Tour Launceston Nuffield Australia

25 Sept - 8 Oct 2011 International Conference Adelaide and Perth, Australia Nuffield Australia

Date Event Venue Host

October 2010

international

For further information, please visit www.nuffieldinternational.org

1 Nuffield International

Peter Nixon, International Chairman peter@nixonfarming.com.au

International Chairman - PeTeR NIxoN - Po Box 69, Moora, Western Australia 6510 - peter@nixonfarming.com.au

International Secretary - JIM GeLTCh - Po Box 586, Moama, NSW 2731 - jimgeltch@nuffield.com.au

“nuffield and noblehave much in common”

Nuffield News

The Samuel Robert Noble Foundation is agreat example of philanthropy at its best and,like Nuffield Farming Scholarships, theirfounders vision and generosity has left a lastingimpact on the industry and people whom theysought to serve.

This quote from Lloyd Noble in 1948, I am sure, captures a view shared by both our organisations:

“As I look around at the stridesthat have been made in our

research laboratories, as I look atthe things undreamed of a fewyears ago... the only degree to

which we have reached the end ofthe road of opportunity is the

degree to which we haveexhausted the imaginative

capacity of the human mind.”

Nuffield and Noble have much in common and,although different in approach, they complimenteach other in seeking to advance agriculture inthe modern world.

Scholars should go out of their way to visitthis outstanding facility. Along with our friends inPennsylvania, there is an open invitation to visit.

go to www.noble.org to find out more.

Lloyd Noble, founder of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Peter Nixon and Jim Geltch with Secretary Russell Redding (Centre) on the CSC 2010

UK ConferenCe4th-6th November 2010Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh

n Departed Scholars

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Max Piggott - aus NSch 1955.

understanding the uS Farm Bill is crucial tounderstanding uS agriculture. the Farm Billis negotiated through a committee processheaded by political appointees whosedecisions can be influenced by a strongcontingent of lobbyists who operate on many levels.

The US has the capacity to increase its foodproduction in nearly all commodity sectors. Accessto water is vital for agriculture in the US - andglobally - and lack of water can be to thedeterminant of the country’s economic potential.

To compete with the US, other countries need tounderstand where their sectors have a naturalcompetitive advantage and focus on specialisationand economies of scale.

US ethanol policy will continue to distort globalcommodity markets in the future in three ways: 1)The success of second generation product (eg.Switch Grass) and its overall effectiveness on acommercial scale; 2) Subsidies paid to ethanolmanufacturers (45c/litre) and a mandate of 15% offuel to contain ethanol; 3) Trade tariffs distortingimports from Brazil of sugar cane derived ethanol.

Strengths

l The size and strength of the US domestic markethas enabled the development of a robustproduction system that can compete with globalmarkets across a broad range of commodities.

l At a government level, agriculture appears to bepunching above its weight.

l Funding and facilities available for agriculturalresearch are plentiful and well established.

Weaknesses

l US farmers are subsidised through directpayments and crop insurance.

l Unsustainable farming practises are impactingon the environment.

l Farm Bill policy centred on social welfare foodstamps and school nutrition programmesdistorts overall function, purpose and publicperception of agricultural funding.

l Public appreciation for agriculture isdisadvantaged by the fact that average dailymeals are highly processed and far removed fromtheir natural state.

l Lobby groups are not necessarily focused ongood agriculture and public policy.

opportunities

l The USA has 300+ million immediate consumers,resulting in an export market being a bonus,rather than a necessity.

l There is huge potential to increase agriculturaloutput and food supply.

l The USA agricultural sector enjoys low labourcosts and vast agricultural resources.

threats

l only 0.5% of the population are directly involvedin agriculture.

l Farming practices are regulated, yet regulation isnot necessarily conducive to innovation.

l ePA and environmental legislation is strengthening.

l Farming population is agingl, withthe average farmer aged 58.

l Power of the animal rights movement is increasing.

l Disproportionate focus of research on energycreation, rather than food production (rampingup wheat production for ethanol).

Highlights

l Successful vertical integration on massive scale.

l Noble Foundation ideology.

l Gaining an understanding of global agriculture.

The overall highlight of the US experience was theconversation and discussion amongst the groupfollowing a visit or meeting. our understanding grewwith the interaction between members of the groupas we shared strategic industry knowledge anddeveloped an appreciation of each other’s point ofview - and taste in beer.

We all agreed on a quick-as-possible exit fromthe USA, as we watched another US $100 bill melt ina wad of cheese. Two days later we found ourselveseating croissants, grading steeples and singingJohnny Cash as we road tripped across the South ofFrance. ooooh La La….

all packed and raring to go in early September, six Scholars on the thirdglobal Focus Program in 2010 kick started their journey in the uSa, but wenton to include countries as far flung as Bahrain, Syria, ukraine and india.the following reports give a flavour of what they learned and the cultures theyexperienced in these incredibly diverse countries.

GLoBAL foCUS

2 Nuffield International

uSa-oklahoma and Washington

France is all about appreciating beauty andstyle. in all aspects of life, food is anessential part of that appreciation and theflow-on affect is a healthy respect foragriculture. that culinary appreciation linksthe general population to agriculture in a waythat is not evident in the uSa.

Advanced methods of farming, but not geneticmodification, are used to increase yields. Land is notfreely available for expansion and this leads to themisconception that agriculture is not ‘growth driven’.

French agriculture is heavily based on eU policydecisions. As history is a driver of eU policy,starvation and multiple wars have given thesecountries a different perspective on farming andfood supply chains. To this day, some farmers arestill finding mortar shells in their paddocks as astark reminder of the legacy of war.

eU trade policy decisions are made on emotion,rather than science; an indication of a continent withan oversupply of food.

The debate over such things as GM products and

growth promoters fuels a trade barrier between

countries with a vested interest in commodity goods. We believe this policy decision making is not

conducive to future trade. If eU trade restrictions onfood from certain production systems in the US areapplied on emotional grounds instead of sciencebased decisions, what defense will europe have ifthe US, for example, bans Mercedes Benz on asimilar decision making process?

eU governments are subsidising farmers bydirect payments. These are outcome-basedsubsides to force farmers to align themselves witheU policy. Some of these are conditional on suchthings as animal welfare (livestock movement ontrucks, animal passports), environment (keepinghedges around land) and food safety (fulltraceability eg. eurogap).

These direct payments are aimed at keepingpeople in regional areas and are a ‘form of socialwelfare’. They should be viewed for what they are and

not taken in the context of‘agriculture’, so not to distort the public's perception.

Strengths l Farmers spread their risk by specialising in a

selection of high value crops and producing themas efficiently as possible.

l Strong rural communities allow efficienciesthrough co-operation to offset their lack ofefficiency of scale due to limited land holding size.

l Contentment was evident in all the farmers wevisited with. They seemed to have a deepappreciation of their environment and take pridein their occupation.

SCHoLaR gRouP: Bill o’Keeffe, Steve Newman, Chris Ferguson, Minh hieu Ly, Don Madden and Ian Duthie

FRaNCE - Amiens, Gaujacq, Chartres and Paris

Continued on page 3

the ukraine is symptomatic of most postcommunist block countries struggling tocome to terms with a global economy that hasdeveloped from the massive advances of theindustrial revolution in the last half of the20th century.

It is a country blessed with the most abundantagricultural resources, but still struggling to gainconfidence after three generations of citizens ruledby a central authority, then intimidated by a postsoviet age of corruption.

We must take our view of Ukraine from a point ofrelativity and not judge it too harshly, or else we mayfurther damage the potential of this powerhouse ofagriculture. Relationships in agribusiness must bemutually beneficial, not only to achieve outcomes ingrowth and development, but also social change in therural areas.

Total agricultural land is approximately 41 millionhectares of fertile soil. After the collapse ofcommunism collective farming, lands were dividedup between the farmers and currently no freehold toland ownership is possible. Rents can be paid forwith grain from the harvest or with cash.

Ukrainian agribusiness has a unique set ofcircumstances that need to be appreciated byprospective farmers. Sound local knowledge andcommunity respect are vital for business success.

Strengths

l Land is ideally suited to cropping with largeamounts of arable land available.

l Fertile soils, varying in type and depth across thecountry, enable a large range of crops to be grown.Typically soils are Chernozem black earths with 2-3.5% humus levels and up to 2.0m deep.

l Reliable seasonal rainfall, with areas of springmelt, help maintain good moisture profiles.

l Average minimum wage of US$100 a monthreduces labour inputs in agribusinesses.

l high rates of return are achieved (50%+).however, these are eroded by high inflation andinterest rates.

l No income tax system, but VAT of 20% on all sales.

l A massive amount of surface water is availablefor irrigation, with some infrastructure developed.

l Land leasing arrangementsfacilitate less capitalinvested in land-based assets freeing up capital resources forproduction outcomes.

l Inland river systems facilitateeconomic movement ofproduce through the nation and to majorinternational ports.

Weaknesses

l Deteriorating overland transport infrastructure.

l economic insecurities, resulting in adevaluation of the Ukrainian currency of 60% inthe last year. Interest rates are currently 22% andinflation is now 17%.

l Government interference in the market placedistorting prices and free trade. exports of wheathave been reduced by 75%, with no reliableexplanations given.

l Input supply chains appear to be unreliable.

l Labour skill set is developing, but variable.

l Socialist indoctrination has resulted in a riskaverse population. Flow on affect of this is aworkforce that is hesitant to take responsibility.

l A shortage of effective middle management inagricultural sectors results in a reliance onexpatriate managers.

l Lack of a livestock industry reduces agriculturaldiversification and increases risk. Yet cheap grainis available.

opportunities

l Freehold land ownership may be possible in future.

l Foreign investment to stimulate the developmentof the agricultural resources and take advantageof its low currency exchange.

l Development of massive irrigation systemsaround the country’s vast water resources andexisting water infrastructure.

l Value adding to agricultural commodities,utilising a cheap (but compliant) labour force andstrong commodity supply.

l Generational change to bring vitality to agriculturalmodernisation and business growth.

l Massive increase in production through improvingyields, adoption of modern farming practices,machinery and professional business models.

threats

l Foreign investment and business relationshipscan be hampered by mistrust.

l Limitations in the growth of the middle-class-leaddomestic economy that could boost the country’sGDP and standard of living.

l Non-alignment with a trading block will continueto leave Ukraine trade exposed.

Highlightsl observing the enormous potential that such

fertile soils and abundant water bring to a nation.

l experiencing the culture of a country emergingfrom communism.

l Witnessing a business growing with good ethicsin a difficult social environment.

When we arrived in the Ukraine we were like ‘kids in alolly shop’, excited by the country’s incredible soiland water resources which have such enormouspotential. As the week went by, we came tounderstand that Ukraine agriculture was extremelycomplex and challenging, much more than thesimple application of science and economics to reapthe benefits of its resources.

l Rural areas have been sustained with directpayments. Most of the land was in production.

l Agriculture appeared to be a stable and safeindustry in France.

l The central market system of Rangi brought allkinds of produce into the centre of Paris andenabled ease of access to the retail market on asubstantial economy of scale.

Weaknessesl We noticed a lack of large scaleoperations - which could lead toinefficiencies. however, this seemed to beaddressed through co-operation betweenfarming communities and within families.

l Most farms seemed to have a largeinvestment in specialised plant and machineryrelative to the size of their operations. Areluctance to adopt certain new technologies,such as GM, will continue to erode theircompetiveness with overseas producers.

l Difficulty for young farmers to enter themarket reduces the dynamics of the farmingpopulation. The structure of farm ownership -based on long held family inheritance andleasing arrangements - has created an entry

barrier to new industry participants.

l As more countries join the eU, it is inevitable thatdirect payments will be reduced. how Francereacts will determine the viability of theiragricultural sector going forward.

opportunities l The potential for farmers to capitalise on the

affluent sector’s appreciation of food and its origin.

l More productivity from available resourcesthrough the adoption of modern farmingtechnological advances.

threats

l Subsidies have the potential to breedcomplacency in production as well as the marketplace, reducing the appetite for risk and growth.

l Stagnation of general economic growth will affectthe population’s ability to subsidise producers.

Highlights

l The cultural experience that is France.

l Witnessing contentment in everyday life,seemingly driven by a lack of pressure that issuch a large part of farming in Australia.

A highlight of the trip was French hospitality. Wewere welcomed into stranger’s homes and evenmanaged to find a Scholar’s long lost cousin in theParis market place - where an upturned rubbish binwas used as a picnic table as we sheltered from therain under a shop awning, swigging on French wine,and eating cheese and bread. Ahhhh, sweet Paris.

A few days later we were in shock, as we swappedthe genteel French culture for the raw post-Sovietregime of the Ukraine. Vive Le France!!!

3 Nuffield International

uKRaiNE - Kiev to odessa

Continued from page 2

in april, Nuffield uK laidon the bi-annual Nuffieldarden Conference. theinspiration behind thisevent is the arden Familywho generously donated

a sum of money to perpetuate thepioneering spirit of Frank arden.

Frank Arden lived and farmed in NorthLincolnshire where he combined both vision andcourage with a willingness to embrace newtechnology. With these skills he created afarming business that was regarded as a showpiece for progressive agriculture. Breaking newground and applying new technology were a wayof life for Frank and, although not a NuffieldScholar himself, he is a great inspiration for theUK Nuffield Arden scholars.

The topical theme for the conference and thechallenge for the two Arden Scholars was to lookat the latest science and technologies fromaround the globe, and assess its suitability andfit for UK agriculture with the aim of raising thecompetitiveness of UK Farming Plc.

The Arden Scholars, David Gardiner andLindsay hargreaves, took on the challenge ofreviewing innovative technologies andexamining the latest scientific thinking on plant

and animal genetics, functional foods andleading edge engineering.

The conference offers the ideal platform toshowcase the outcomes of their studies. It waswell attended by Nuffield Scholars and a widerange of key industry figures. It also provided anopportunity to revisit earlier Nuffield studies onrelated topics, and we were delighted to welcomeNick Ward NSch, Peter Gresty NSch and MikeTyers NSch to present to the conference.

Ian Crute, Chief Scientist Agriculture andHorticulture Development Board (AHDB) (centre)

pictured with 2009 Arden Scholars, DavidGardner and Lindsay Hargreaves.

Nuffield australia hasrecently completedselections for 2011. thisimportant process hasseen 18 scholarshipsawarded of a possible 22.

At Nuffield Australia we believe that, whilstgrowth in scholar numbers is part of our long-termstrategy, it is critical that we keep the standard ofscholars selected at the same level we have for theprevious 60 years. Details of scholarship winners willbe released in october at our annual Spring Tour, thisyear to be held in Victoria.

global Focus 3September marked the departure time for ‘GlobalFocus Program 3’, which went to the US, France,Bahrain, Syria, Ukraine, and India. This was a fantastictrip and we are pleased to mention that we had Billo’Keefe joining the program from Ireland.

Nuffield australia repeated its offer to allparticipating countries that positions are availableevery year on the global Focus programs.

I have used the following quote from Australia’sBruce Watson before, but I really think it demonstratesthe importance of the Global Focus Program:

“Anyway, thanks again for

organising (or through your

networks) such a great trip. The

experience and the friends I have

made through the GFP and the

Nuffield Association have been one

of the highlights of my life thus far.”

I would like to add that Bruce has recently delivereda presentation at the National Farmers Conference inMelbourne. The feedback we have received fromdelegates at the conference was excellent.

Platforms and promotionPart of our promotional strategy at Nuffield Australiais acting as the conduit to getting our scholars topresent at these conferences. Given the opportunity,the scholars do an outstanding job and thus, in turn,industry, our investors and policy makers get to seethe benefits first-hand.

I would also like to congratulate the ChiaCompany and John Foss, Nuffield Scholar based inNorthern Western Australia, on their achievement aspart of the ‘Food Industry Association Toast toexcellence in WA’s F&B Industry’. The Chia Companywas awarded ‘Best Retail Product Award’ for their

new health Product Range bringing chia’s benefits toAustralian consumers.

We also had a number of scholars in theKondinin Farmer of the Year Awards which werejudged in october. Ross Woodhouse (1999 NuffieldScholar from WA) was successful in winning themajor award as the 2010 Australian Farmer of theYear. Ross, in his acceptance speech, paid tribute tohis Nuffield Scholarship as the catalyst to hissuccess. Congratulations and well done Ross.

I am pleased to say that Australia, as a rule, ishaving a fantastic start to spring - with maybe theexception being parts of Western Australia. DoretheaMcKellar’s poem - ‘I love a sunburnt country’ - ringsin my ears... “of droughts and flooding rains” .

My last reportFinally, this will be my last report as I complete myterm as Chairman of Nuffield Australia in october.

I would just like to thank Nuffield Australia for allthe opportunities and experiences that I have beenso lucky to partake in. A big thank you to the alumniand the Nuffield Australia Board for your support,but in particular the new scholars, who every year getselected to the program and then transform andcontinue to excel in ways they would have onlydreamed of without the Nuffield Scholarship.

australia

around the globe

4 Nuffield International

irelandNuffield ireland is growingincrementally year on year, and2010 has seen five high calibrescholars added to our ranks. inaddition to planning their owntrips, they hosted fellow scholars on the globalFocus tour in June which culminated in a verysuccessful conference entitled “Carbon – a cost oropportunity for farming”.

Ireland has had a good farming year and there is a renewedoptimism that agriculture will be the first industry to lead us outof recession. The bumper harvest and rising grain prices helpedto offset losses in the sector over the past number of years.

The discussions on the shape of the Common AgriculturalPolicy post 2013 has commenced, with individual countriestaking positions to safeguard their share of the pot against abackdrop of ever decreasing resources.

Nuffield Ireland held its AGM on 28th September lastwhich saw Thomas horgan step down as Chairman after fouryears of good stewardship.

early November will see the participation of the 2009scholars in the 2010 Nuffield Conference in edinburgh,myself included. Late November will see the process of fivenew scholars for 2011 selected.

our focus in the short-term is to retain our valued sponsorsand to cultivate new ones. In the long-term we will focus oncontinued participation of previous scholars and to ensure thatNuffield Ireland remains a relevant and vibrant organisation toits members. We also look forward to playing our part in thecontinued development of Nuffield International.

“I am looking forward to the future

development of Nuffield Ireland, both

domestically and internationally, over the next

year. We have embarked on a process which

will see a permanent secretariat been retained

and this will be in place before year end.”

DEREK MCCABE, Chairmanderek@roebuckhouse.ie

Summer show gatheringsThe demise of the Royal Show has left a gap in theNuffield UK calendar. In the past, this nationalshow has provided the ideal venue for a Nuffieldgathering. Sadly, the show is no more and thefocus has become the Royal highland Show andthe Royal Welsh Show. By all accounts both ofthese events ran well and were well attended byboth Scholars and a wide range of guests.

MBE for John greenCongratulations go John Green (NSch 1949), oneof our oldest and most respected Scholars. Johnwas awarded an ‘order of the British empire MBe’in the Queen’s Birthday honours for voluntaryservice to the helford River Children's SailingTrust. Founded by John in 1997, the Trust hasgone from strength to strength and has allowedthousands of youngsters to learn to row and sail.

united KingdomNew technologies to transform uK agriculture

DAvE BROWNhILL, Chairmangowrieoffice@bigpond.com

JACK WARD, Chairmanjack.ward@cityandguilds.com

at the CSC in March, scholarswere joined by Bram Prins andalfons Beldman of globalDairy Farmers (gDF). Recognising thebenefits of an association with the Nuffieldgroup, a bursary was generously offered toattending scholars with an interest in dairywhich would enable them to attend the 2010 gDF Congress - travelingto Holland, Poland, Romania and Hungary in September. uK scholar,CHRiS FaLCoNER, was the worthy winner of the bursary.

“During the trip we had a good mix of visits to farms, in-house presentationsand workshops,” Chris reports. “We got to engage with people investing in newterritories and hear first-hand what the challenges have been, how they arebeing addressed and the opportunities on the horizon.

“The current state and the outlooks on both macro and micro dairy issueshighlighted how much has changed in the last few years. If I had the ability togenerate a word cloud, then I’m guessing that ‘volatility’ would be largest and

boldest. Making predictions has become simultaneously more difficult and easier with broader ranges coveringfor uncertainty.

“Most of the raw data we werepresented with is familiar to all of you, butthe perspectives of people from the regionsin question added significantly to my

understanding of what we should takefrom it. Data means little without insightand, with globalisation a reality, it hasnever been more important to get outthere and speak to people.”

Farmers in the southern parts of thePrairie provinces have had to contendwith excess rain since the early spring.I talked with farmers in Regina,Saskatchewan, who estimated that20% of the acreage was not plantedand another 20% of the crop wasdamaged during the growing season.

In eastern Canada we have hadideal growing conditions - all cropshave either been harvested or are inlate stages of maturity.

‘Breakout year’ This has been a breakout year forNuffield Canada. We had 60individuals apply for scholarships.Prior to this year, the most was sevenapplications in 2009.

From a shortlist of 12, we haveselected three candidates for 2011.once they have signed and returnedtheir contracts, we will post bios of thesuccessful applicants on our website.

The number of applicants this yearsuggests that Canadians are beginningto appreciate the importance and valueof a Nuffield Scholarship. We haveactivated a sponsorship committee toseek out enthusiastic sponsors to helpus grow the Canadian program.

global Focus ProgramSpecial thanks go to Steve Larocquefor his commitment to the GlobalFocus tour which visited WesternCanada in late June. A successful weekand a job well done.

Scholars especially appreciatedthe opportunity to stay on host farms.Many of us who live in other parts ofCanada were able to host travellingscholars as well. This is a valuablecomponent of the Nuffield experience.

Nuffield Canada’s annual meetingwill be held in Victoria, BritishColombia, on November 27th and28th. We invite any scholars travellingat that time in western Canada or USAto join us.

Hall of Fame for JimCongratulations to Jim halford, NuffieldScholar 1975, on his induction to theSaskatchewan Agricultural hall of Fameon August 3rd. Jim is well known for hiszero-till practices and his innovation inequipment design.

BARRY CUDMORE, Chairmanbarrycudmore@

pei.sympatico.ca

5 Nuffield International

Canada

www.nuffieldinternational.orgIt is our aim that the Nuffield international website will become theinternational link for all Scholars - providing easy access to Scholarreports, forthcoming national events and conferences, links to relevantwebsites and news. Please take a look. Your comments and suggestionswould be most welcome.

Peter NIxON, International Chairman (peter@nixonfarming.com.au)

Contributions welcome...

Stay in touch!

if you have news to report or success stories to share, please letus know! Send full details to:

JIm GeltCh, International Secretary, PO Box 586, moama,NSW 2731, Australia (email. jimgeltch@nuffield.com.au)

International Newsletter - layout and production courtesy ofEditor, JULIE MATE NSch - julie@ukagriculture.com

as many of you would have heardor read, Canterbury, in the Southisland of New Zealand,experienced a severe 7.1earthquake early in the morningof Saturday, 4th September. toexperience this event was a starkreminder of the power of nature.

For those of you who know the area,the epicentre was about 30km southwest of Christchurch on an until nowunknown fault line across farm land.

The damage that occurred on farmsin the area was mainly confined torotary dairy sheds, grain silos andfences. Irrigation assets have yet to beassessed, but there is concern of majorproblems. Many farm houses wereseverely affected and a number areuninhabitable.

Christchurch also bore the brunt ofthe earthquake with older brickbuildings destroyed or so seriouslydamaged that they need demolition.Areas of the city built on sandy soilssuffered liquefaction, causingdwellings to slump or their foundations

to crack.Infrastructureacross the cityand further afield has beencompromised.other parts of the city received verylittle damage.

Very lucky!Miraculously, no one has been killed andto date I know of no Nuffield Scholarswho have had serious damage.

Thanks to all of you who haveenquired about our wellbeing andsafety, both from within New Zealandand outside. We consider ourselves tobe very lucky.

The NZ Nuffield Trust is at presentin the process of selecting next yearsscholars and the planning is wellunderway for the hosting of theContemporary Scholars Conference inMarch. We expect the earthquake tohave no affect on our plans.

STUART WRIGhT, Chairmanastuwright@xtra.co.nz

New Zealandthe power of nature

2010 GDfCongress

gDF (www.globaldairyfarmers.com)provide a platform for dairy farmersfocusing on innovations and newstrategies. they are supported byfarmer members and selectedpartners from the commercialsector. it is a network which aims to:

l Discuss the impact of policymeasures from differentorganisations - such as the WTo, eU and FAo and the impact on theirown businesses.

l exchange ideas and strategiesbetween entrepreneurs and policymakers world wide on different levels(farm, region, world).

l Act as a forum for discussingproblems and their solutions withinthe network.

the weather in Canada has been ahot topic - or maybe not so hot a topicdepending on where one lives.

“The highlight for our

family this summer has

been the marriage of our

daughter, Heather, to

Lou Riccoboni. The

ceremony took place in

our back yard on a

beautiful sunny day.”

Pictures supplied courtesy of Elise Keurentjes, Manager GDF.