Mr Gooden, now Nuffield NSW chairman, was awarded a scholarship in 2010, which saw him spent four months touring North and South America, Europe and Scandinavia.

He learned new innovations in his chosen field, pesticide application, and was then able to put his new-found knowledge to use in his family’s cropping enterprise Pallendina.

Nuffield Australia has been selecting scholars from Australian primary industries for more than 60 years. 

“Scholarships are awarded to primary producers and they get to chose the topic they are passionate about,” Mr Gooden said.

“They undertake 16 weeks of travel over two years, the idea is that they find something new and exciting from overseas and bring it back to their own business.

“It’s good for primary producers who wouldn’t usually get the chance to travel overseas.

“Agriculture needs good people in it, to make good decisions to see the industry go forward.”

Today there are more than 350 scholars in Australia who, through their scholarship, have significant insight into global agriculture. 

These scholars have gone on to influence industry and community changes resulting in productivity increases and new industry and economic development for rural communities across Australia.

For the first time, Nuffield Australia will hold its national conference in Albury, from September 16-20, bringing up to 400 delegates from Australia and New Zealand to the Border.

Former Member for Farrer Tim Fischer will deliver the George Wilson Oration at the gala dinner at the Albury Entertainment Centre on Thursday, September 17.

Other speakers during the conference include CSIRO’s agriculture, food and health sector executive director Dr Brian Keating, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation rural woman of the year Pip Job and specialist plastic surgeon Gary Kode.

Organisers will run a two-day agriculture-focused tour of North East Victoria and southern NSW after the conference, taking in dairy, wine, cropping, seeds, eggs, pork and rural manufacturing industries.

For more information visit http://nuffield.com.au.