BRUCE Rock farmer Michael Foss will be WA's sole representative in the coming Nuffield Scholarship.
Michael will use the scholarship, which is supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), to study corporate farming structures in agriculture worldwide and the comparison with family farm business structures.
He hopes to visit the USA, UK, New Zealand and South America, to study a range of corporate and family farm structures.
"I specifically want to look at the impact these farming models have on issues such as productivity, profitability, environment and in particular research and development," Michael said.
"Some overseas corporate farming businesses have established internal research and development divisions, which I see as a significant opportunity to be developed further within Australian corporate farms."
With his wife Judith, Michael manages the cropping enterprise on the family property in Bruce Rock, comprising 5000 hectares of wheat, barley, canola and lupins and 3000 hectares of pasture.
He is also employed as a part-time research agronomist for Living Farm, which holds a range of trials on behalf of agribusiness clients in the Wheatbelt and the Ord Valley.
Nuffield Australia is an organisation which provides an opportunity to Australian farmers to travel overseas on an agricultural research scholarship.
It is a 16-week program which consists of both group and individual travel.
The next group will be travelling through New Zealand, North America, Brazil, Mexico and France in February-March 2011.
The objective of the scholarship is to increase practical farming knowledge and management skills and techniques generally.
These scholarships give Australian citizens the opportunity to study farming practices in New Zealand, Europe, Asia and the Americas and those countries best suited to the Scholar.
They will also promote a closer understanding between farmers in the countries visited.
On returning to Australia it is expected that scholars will be able to actively spread the knowledge and understanding they have gained among their fellow farmers and others.
Nuffield Farming Scholarships give a unique opportunity to stand back from your day-to-day occupation and to study a subject of interest to you.
Academic qualifications are not required, but applicants will need to persuade the selectors that they have the qualities to make the best use of an opportunity that is only given to a few.
One of last year's WA Nuffied Scholars was 33-year-old Moora farmer Brendon Tierney, who's research aim was to investigate farm business structures and expansion options beyond the traditional Australian strategy of buying another property.
He focused his research in developed countries, similar to Australia, visiting farm operations and farm business advisors in the United Kingdom, Illinois and Iowa in the US, Saskatchewan in southern Canada, and New Zealand.
Mr Tierney helps his father Frank and uncle Cec manage an 1800 hectare farm near Moora and has also worked as a farm business planning consultant for more than 10 years.
Mr Tierney's final report, The Efficient use of Capital in Farm Businesses, can be downloaded from the reports menu at Nuffield Australia website www.nuffield.com.au
