Claire Catford, an SA grower based in Halbury, has been awarded the 2025 Nuffield Australia farming scholarship, supported by GRDC. Her study will focus on the relationship between thriving farmers and vibrant communities, which she sees as a “dynamic duo empowering agriculture”.
Her family farm in Hoyleton, SA, has thrived for 100 years, a milestone she attributes to the strong bond between her family and their community. However, she notes that growers today face unprecedented challenges due to increasing farm scale, technological advancements and heightened social responsibility.
“Rising demands and declining communities pose challenges to the wellbeing of farmers, while also threatening access to vital labour and services,” Claire says.
Her research will examine how these challenges are impacting growers’ mental and physical health, as well as rural social structures. Importantly, she plans to explore strategies that can bolster wellbeing and strengthen rural communities. Claire’s research will take her to New Zealand, Scandinavia, the UK and Canada, where she will gather insights into successful initiatives that support growers and their communities.
She aims to identify solutions that can be implemented in Australia to ensure both growers and rural communities can thrive. Her involvement in her family’s continuous cropping business, her leadership roles in Rabobank’s Client Council and the health initiative ‘Fat Farmers’ have all shaped her passion for this topic.
“Opportunities include ways to foster connection in communities, awareness and access to resources, and how successful programs can be adapted to the rural population,” Claire says.
Her ultimate goal is to equip growers with the knowledge and resources to succeed in modern agriculture while also enhancing the vibrancy and sustainability of rural communities.
GRDC sponsors the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship program to support the development of agricultural leaders to identify, share and implement new knowledge, management skills and farming practices.
The scholarship provides an opportunity for grains industry participants to identify a topic for research relevant to them and the broader industry, and then travel to study this within an Australian and international context.
Claire is the 71st scholar directly supported by GRDC during its 24-year sponsorship of the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship program.
More information: nuffield.com.au/scholars