Scholarship takes ag networking to the next level

By Dale Woodard - for the Lethbridge Herald on April 19, 2022.

Herald photo by Dale Woodard Ken Coles, executive director for Farming Smarter, was the recipient of the Nuffield Scholarship last year and is travelling around the world to correspond with other agriculturalists.

Earning the Nuffield Scholarship harvested the chance for Ken Coles to travel the globe and exchange agricultural ideas.

Now, the seed has been planted for the executive director of Farming Smarter to pay it forward.

Coles was one of the recipients of the Nuffield Scholarship last year, a $15,000 scholarship which provides individuals with a unique opportunity to access the world’s most extensive network in food and farming, achieve personal development through travel and study and deliver long term benefits to Canadian farmers and growers and to the industry as a whole.

Six scholars are awarded in Canada over the two years. They met in November in Winnipeg for their orientation and first meeting before Coles headed to the Contemporary Scholars Conference in England last month.

The Nuffield Scholarship is a prestigious rural leadership program available to Canadian citizens who are involved in any aspect of agriculture with the goal of attracting mid-career scholars with a passion for agriculture who are ready to challenge themselves in a program of self-directed international travel and study. 

The experience results in personal and professional benefits, while adding value to Canadian agriculture as scholars assume positions of greater influence in their field.

The scholarship has earned Coles 10 weeks of international travel, four weeks of which he’s already used, having just returned from a trip to Ireland, England and France last month.

“I decided to apply for the scholarship last summer. I’ve been aware of the program for quite a few years,” said Coles.

“Since then, I’ve toured half a dozen Nuffield scholars through Farming Smarter. So it’s big in England and Australia, but there are actually 15 countries around the world that offer this scholarship and they’re actively trying to grow the number of countries who are involved.

“What I’ve learned about it is, is there is a culture to it and it’s kind of like joining a family of enthusiastic agriculturalists around the world.”

Last month, Coles took off across the pond to meet some of those agriculturalists for what turned out to be an eye-opening journey.

“In England we had a contemporary scholars conference and met with 138 scholars from around the world (from) 2021 and 2022,” he said. “We had sessions and guest speakers from all over the place and then we went out and toured a bunch of farms and facilities.”

Being a Nuffield Scholarship recipient meant Coles had to choose a study topic, selecting to focus on organizations like Farming Smarter, which are non-profit, have a grassroots approach and are focused on farm innovation. 

“As I was doing that, I tried to hook up with other scholars that had somewhat similar interests,” he said. “That’s what is really the neat part. I met these scholars at this conference and then went and visited them in Ireland. So they host you, show you around, help with their connections and really treat you like part of the family. When you’re traveling, I think it’s a lot more fun to see people than it is just to see places.”

From that trip, Coles now has a network of agriculturists around the world.

Back on home soil, he now gets ready to pay it forward.

“Other scholars will come to Canada,” said Coles. “I have a call (Wednesday) with one. There’s a lady from Iowa who’s coming and a fellow from Australia who is coming to study hemp. So I have two lined up already and it’s just starting.”

With the scholarship lasting two years, Coles still has six weeks’ worth of traveling to do, but hasn’t decided on where he’ll go next.

He said part of the reason he applied for the scholarship in the first place was out of a little bit of frustration within the industry. 

“It’s always been a really challenging industry to be in with cuts coming and governments shifts and focus,” said Coles. “My job is always how to secure the finances to do what we do. There is a public, good objective. It’s a rewarding job, but it’s a challenging job. I’m an emotional, passionate fellow, so I was at a low when I applied and this has brought me back up. After being on my four-week trip I’m reinvigorated and ready to fight for what we do.”

Coles said the experience has been rewarding and one he thinks will help not just him, but Farming Smarter and all the other organizations across the province. 

“Sometimes it’s just a confidence builder,” he said. “We’re doing the right stuff. We just need to keep fighting for it and make sure we’re telling people about what we do and the politics side of it to be leaders, to develop leadership and (have) the opportunity to make connections so as we’re bringing in ideas around the world, we can test them here and hopefully help agriculture. But I think the big thing is just the people.”

Now, Coles plays the role of host with farmers from Iowa and Australia set to arrive on his home soil.

“One of them is very much focused on hemp,” he said. “We’ve been involved in hemp research for 12 years. So he’ll check out our trials and we’ll hook him up with some of the innovative farmers who are here in southern Alberta. There’s a huge organic farm, probably the largest in the world of hemp. Then there’s a hemp researcher we work with from Vegreville. So we’ll feed him as much hemp knowledge as we can around here.”

The other farmer is more focused on conservation types of agriculture, said Coles. 

“She’s very much interested in cover crops and any type of practice that improves soil health. We have lots of connections there, too. We’re involved in trials. We’ll show her some of our trials and hook her up with the farmers.

“I think there is going to be value and tremendous connections around the world. I did it this year already, but when I plan the conference, I’m going to look for a Nuffield scholar to give a talk. Part of my responsibility is to help be an advocate for the Nuffield program and to help grow its influence.

“It (scholarship) is two years, but it’s really a lifelong commitment. I’ll continue to host other scholars and participate on the local boards.”