I'm back from a couple of days in Harrogate at this year's Nuffield Conference. This is where the returning scholars present their findings, each giving a fifteen minute presentation about where they have been and what they have learnt.
I presented at the conference last year which was an unexpectedly nerve-wracking experience. It was a relief to be there without a job to do.
This was a bit like being in the second year at school. It is such a relief not to be the rookie anymore that it's tempting to abuse your position and bog wash the first years or give them an apple pie bed...
I managed to be very well behaved, however. I didn't even ask any awkward questions. It was nice to settle into the background for a change and see what I could learn.
The papers that interested me most this year were those that took an inventive look at what could be done to reduce carbon pollution and the use of fossil fuels. I think my favourite paper was from Will Scales who was looking at crop production with zero tillage and the use of a permanent mulch. This looked at the present problems with a fresh perspective and was thoroughly researched. It is worth getting a copy of his report when it is published and I really hope that he is able to take his work further.
All of this year's scholars presented their findings very well. Much better than last year's that's for sure. All of them were a million times better than Tom Rawson's last year. That was probably the lowest point in the history of Nuffield, if not the history of modern agriculture. Even his mother said it was a stinker. (This is a joke to see if he is still reading the blog - incidentally you can catch Tom speaking at the Institute of Ag. Management Conference this week.)
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