About Us
Our Mission
Empowering Agricultural Education
At Central Region Farmers Trust, our mission is to provide funding for education that benefits agriculture and horticulture in the central region. We strive to support farmers in adopting sustainable farming practices and enhancing their skills for a thriving agricultural sector.
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With our support we can help you contribute to building a brighter future for agriculture and the rural economy.
Tanya Robbins – Gloucestershire Trustee
Tanya farms in Gloucestershire with her husband Tom and they run a mixed farm business mainly grazing agreements with four different landowners lambing 1000 ewes and finishing the lambs. They have arable land and a small beef suckler herd too with Countryside Stewardship. Tanya represents Gloucestershire as Trustee for the Central Region Farmers Trust and is currently a Trustee for the UK Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust. She is also on the committee for the Gloucestershire branch of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Trust and Gloucestershire Farming Friends.
Philip Chamberlain BB&O Trustee
Philip is a third generation farmer in South Oxfordshire, although the fourth generation are now running the farm as an all arable unit, with diversified income from Barn Conversions, an AD plant and green waste composting site. Philip has been County Chairman of the BB&O NFU in 1993, and also served on the HQ Cereals committee. He was a past Board member of Rothamsted Research and Home Grown Cereals Authority and Chairman of Orion Farm Group.
As Philip’s sons are now running the farm he spends a fair amount of his time in his role as Trustee of God’s House in Ewelme, an Almshouse and Educational Charity.
Mark Jeffery Wiltshire Trustee
Mark manages 300ha in South Wiltshire as a mixed farm with arable, sheep and beef enterprises, on chalk and greensand soils. It is a family business partnership between Mark and his son and his sister.
Previously he has represented the NFU in Wiltshire as a Council member and also sat on the Audit committee .
Mark is a school Governor, an NFU Education Ambassador and a Church Warden.
Mark was educated at Monkton and trained at Cirencester and the Warwickshire College of Agriculture.
Simon Weaver CRFT Chair
Simon, pictured ( on the left) with our 2024 Nuffield Scholar, receiving her award from Nuffield patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester, is also a Nuffield Schooler.
Simon farms in Gloucestershire and also produces organic cheese, he has farming interests in Hungary.
Jane Currill Trust Administrator
Jane is an accomplished administrator, she has worked for a variety of businesses and farmers in our area.
OUR 2025 Nuffield Scholar
Awal Fuseini
Awal, sitting next to CRFT Chairman, at the Nuffield Sponsors lunch, where Awal spoke on his subject, investigating the UK Halal meet trade,
Who We Are
Standing; Vicky NSch, Will NSch,Simon NSch(CRFT Chair) Peter (past Wilts Trustee)Mark (current Wilts Trustee),Tanya NSch(Glos Trustee), Chris NSch,Philip(BB&O Trustee),Nicki NSch, Jake NSch,
seated; Jane ( trust administrator) Liz NSch, Lucy NSch.
Taken at the 2024 25th anniversary dinner/conference held at Sudbury House Farringdon
Guest Speaker at this year's 2025 CRFT conference will be
Professor David Hughes " Dr Food"
Save the date; Tuesday 4th November Sudbury House Faringdon
Summer Visit
On 25 June Patrick Hook kindly hosted a visit to his family business P D Hook Hatcheries and Central Region Farms Trust scholars and Nuffield scholars from the central region enjoyed a fascinating evening learning about the business. Patrick showed us around the hatchery and gave detailed information on each stage of how the chicks are hatched from eggs until they leave for the next stage of their growth at the rearing farms. After the tour Patrick answered questions and provided refreshments - it was a very enjoyable and informative social evening.