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.

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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 receiving his award from HRH Duke of Gloucester at this year's Nuffield conference accompanied by Mark Jeffery CRFT trustee

Awal is investigating the UK Halal meet trade.

Our current Scholar

Will Brown

Will presented his findings on "virtical Farming" to this year's Nuffield Farming Conference held in Belfast.

Will Brown | Nuffield Farming Scholarships

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 years CRFT conference

Robert Shepherd gave a talk on the potential and shortcomings of "Natural Capitol"

Robert is the managing partner of Allenford Farms, an 800ha mixed farming partnership. He is lead farmer of the first Farmer Cluster Group, Enviromental Farmers Group.