Today as part of the Tales of a Nuffield Scholar podcast which aims to share the stories of Nuffield UK Alumni, we welcome Heather Wildman — an unstoppable force in UK agriculture, leadership development, and communication training. From a Cumbrian hill farm to global influence, Heather’s story is packed with grit, growth, and generosity. 🌍

Heather takes us from New Zealand’s dairy scene to cowboying in Montana, to learning about second chances in a Canadian high-security prison. Her Nuffield journey on “communication and motivating change” gave her a new lens — one that still shapes her work mentoring the next generation. 🤠✈️

We dive into Cultivating Leaders, a programme Heather created for SAYFC, now in its 10th year. She shares how she wished someone had told 24-year-old Heather about vision, leadership, and self-belief — so she created that space for others. 🌱 💬

Heather is also a trustee of the board of the Henry Plumb Foundation which supported me with podcast equipment last year!

Her story is candid, powerful, and packed with lessons. We cover mental health, succession, and ageing with curiosity. A true voice of wisdom and warmth in the rural space, Heather shows how living with purpose can spark transformation across the sector. 🔥

Enjoy! 😊

Thank you to Howden Rural for their support of this project.

The views in this podcast are that of those involved and not that of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust.

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