Elizabeth, who is Head of Farming Systems and Agronomy Research at NIAB, was nominated for her role in establishing a major and important new strand to the support that NIAB can provide to farmers and landowners across the country, with the development and resilience of their farming businesses and systems. This is alongside the more conventional farming systems, soils and agronomy research and knowledge exchange that Elizabeth and her teams already deliver for growers across the arable, potato and forage crop sectors.
Future Farming Resilience Fund is a project that will provide support for around 1,500 farmers with improving the resilience of their farming businesses and systems in the light of changing farm payments and the need to deliver important environmental outcomes. In addition to this, a further project will deliver farmer and community engagement around Paludiculture or farming on rewetted peat.
Stuart Knight, NIAB Director of Agronomy said: ‘In taking on these opportunities, Elizabeth has embraced, and adapted to, the challenges of delivering new project types with different and demanding development, reporting, and funding requirements. The projects are strategically important for NIAB, have unlocked new sources of revenue and make good use of the skills and resources that we have, as well as providing new openings at NIAB in the area of farm business support.’
Nominations for the Benltley Nelstop award can be in the areas of scientific research, business processes or a contribution to NIAB’s position in the market place, including new products and services. Other factors are taken into account including any financial benefit to NIAB, a streamlining of systems and procedures and possible savings and public relations and the applicant’s contribution to the good name of NIAB.
The Medal itself was designed by sculptor Janet MacLeod, wife of former NIAB Director John MacLeod, and features a plant cell in the anaphase stage of mitosis.