We recently provided an opportunity for individuals to win a fully-funded Scholarship for the Oxford Farming Conference Scholars Programme 2027.
We are delighted to share that five Norfolk Scholars have been awarded this opportunity, made possible through the support of the RNAA Opportunities Fund.
The Conference titled ‘Harmony’ and the Scholars Programme provides a great opportunity to participate in discussions surrounding the key topics affecting the agricultural industry and to gain personal and professional development as future leaders of UK agriculture.
Brown & Co.
Emily is a Land Agent with Brown & Co in Norwich and is also qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and Agricultural Valuer. Specialising in rural property, her focus is on valuation, management and agency across Norfolk. Growing up on an arable farm in Northamptonshire sparked her long‑standing interest in agriculture and the rural land sector and for six years has made Norfolk her home.
After graduating from the Royal Agricultural University with a degree in Rural Land Management in 2020, she joined Brown & Co and has since qualified as both a Chartered Surveyor and Agricultural Valuer. Alongside her professional work, she is actively involved in Norfolk Young Farmers and has previously served as Secretary for Diss YFC.
Emily is passionate about supporting the future of agriculture, helping clients navigate rapid policy and environmental change, whilst contributing positively to the sector through knowledge sharing and informed advice. Her aspiration is to continue developing as a Land Agent, championing the needs of the agricultural community and ensuring the sector remains recognised and supported. Her hope is that the Scholars Programme will broaden her understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture, encourage fresh thinking and strengthen her ability to represent Norfolk and the RNAA with commitment and enthusiasm.
Cruso & Wilkin
Mared is a farmer’s daughter from a beef and sheep farm in West Wales and has spent the past three years building her career in Norfolk, where she is training to become a Chartered Surveyor. After graduating from Harper Adams University in 2023 with a degree in Rural Estate and Land Management, Mared spent a season in New Zealand working on a South Island dairy farm, supporting calving and day‑to‑day operations. Agriculture has always been central to her life, whether working on the family farm in Wales or helping her partner on a livestock farm here in Norfolk.
Nared now works as a Graduate Land Agent at Cruso & Wilkin, managing a small portfolio of farms and assisting with projects across the county. Her role allows her to gain hands‑on experience, learn from senior colleagues and deepen her understanding of Norfolk’s rural landscape. She is committed to progressing within the profession, becoming RICS and CAAV qualified and supporting the next generation entering the agricultural sector.
Dedicated, hardworking and passionate about farming, Mared is eager to continue developing both personally and professionally, contribute positively to the industry and represent Norfolk’s rural community with pride.
Harper Adams University
Ellie is currently in her second year studying Rural Enterprise and Land Management at Harper Adams University. She has a strong passion for the environment and the agricultural sector, regularly helping out on the family farm. Her experience at home has inspired her to pursue a career where she can advise and support other farmers and landowners to navigate the challenges and opportunities within the agricultural sector. She hopes to build a career that allows her to combine her interest in the countryside with her enthusiasm for agriculture and land management.
As a Rural Enterprise and Land Management, one of the challenges Ellie faced as she began her education was the lack of awareness around her chosen career path. Rural surveying is not widely advertised as a profession, despite qualified professionals playing a vital role in supporting landowners and the countryside, particularly within a constantly evolving agricultural sector.
Another challenge is gaining practical experience and professional connections, both of which are important for establishing a career in the agricultural sector. Ellie feels that often it can be challenging to make those connections and whilst university provides a strong foundation, developing relationships with industry professionals and seeking opportunities independently are equally important.
TW Gaze
Emma is a degree apprentice rural surveyor with TW Gaze in Wymondham, working towards Chartered Surveyor status through the Rural Enterprise and Land Management course at Harper Adams. Her current role involves supporting farmers across Norfolk with environmental schemes, valuations, tenancies, land and property transactions, and estate management. Emma currently assist with two diverse estates in the county, gaining hands‑on experience in both traditional and marshland‑based land management.
Alongside professional training, Emma actively involved in the agricultural community. Volunteering widely across Norfolk, from volunteering as a cattle steward at the Royal Norfolk Show, to supporting mixed livestock and dairy farms, gaining practical skills including lambing, calf‑rearing and robotic milking. As a committed member of the Norfolk Young Farmers, she has helped to organise charity events, volunteered at local agricultural shows and taken part in industry visits to deepen her understanding of the sector.
Passionate about British agriculture, food security and the future of land management, Emma is driven to build a career that supports innovative, sustainable and productive farming. Emma stated that “being able to acknowledge, learn and develop thoughts and projects from others is essential to my generation’s future and ensuring the food security of the UK.”
Harper Adams University
Callum is an enthusiastic agriculture student from Norfolk, currently entering into his final year at Harper Adams University. His passion for farming has been shaped by working on his family’s arable farm and spending a placement year on a large mixed farm with 1200 acres of arable land, 160 Hereford cross Holstein dairy heard and 3000 sheep which included around 2000 north country mules and around 1000 easy cares. Gaining hands‑on experience across arable, dairy and sheep enterprises. Alongside his studies, Callum continues to work on the family farm, maintaining practical skills that support his studies, including his final‑year research project on wheat blends.
Callum is committed to building a career in agriculture that allows him to broaden his experience, take on responsibility and eventually progress towards farm management. He hopes to spend time abroad after graduating to explore different farming systems and bring new ideas back to the UK. Driven, hardworking and open to every opportunity, Callum is focused on developing his knowledge, strengthening his communication skills and contributing positively to the future of the agricultural sector.
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