Nuffield Scholarship

Kalgan’s Johanna Tomlinson was named as CBH’s Nuffield Scholar recipient for 2019. Johanna investigated global soil and production management strategies with a focus on how soil acidity has become a significant threat to Western Australia’s broadacre industry.

Together with her husband Wayne, Johanna runs third generation family business, Tomlinson Agricultural, on 4,000 hectares situated on the south coast of Western Australia. The enterprise produces prime lambs, wool, beef and broadacre crops such as barley, wheat, lupins and canola.

Soil health and improving overall grower understanding of soils is a key priority for Johanna, who hopes to assess global soil acidity and management techniques on her scholarship. She will also investigate how different lime sources and supplies are being managed around the world.

“Having worked in farming and natural resource management for almost 20 years, I believe soil acidification is a critical issue for the sector and, quite frankly, a sleeping giant. It’s impacting on current production and will have dramatic impacts if a long-term plan is not put in place,” she said.

“Soil acidity is an issue we are working to manage on our own farm, but we also recognise the need for further and continued lime applications around the region to ensure that lime can be applied at the rate required to recover and maintain production capacity. “I see the outcomes of my Nuffield Scholarship being delivered back to our community on the south coast through grower and natural resource management groups. I would also like to see the findings incorporated into current and future work on soil acidity throughout Western Australia.”

In June 2019, Johanna visited China as part of her study program - watch the video below for a brief update. She also intends to travel throughout North and South America and Europe visiting broadacre regions with similar farming systems to understand their soil acidification management techniques.

Esperance's Colin de Grussa received the 2014 CBH Group Nuffield Scholarship. He researched how farmers across the globe interact with government for the benefit of their industry, investigated the ways primary producers in other nations are engaging with policy makers, and the role of government in the future of agriculture.

Colin also examined the way farmers and agribusinesses interact with consumers. To complete his studies, Colin visited North America, the UK and a range of EU nations, and met with farmers, lobby groups, politicians and advisors. Read Colin's full report here or watch his presentation below.