Over 70 guests from across the agricultural machinery manufacturing and academic sectors gathered last Wednesday (7 September) to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Douglas Bomford Trust.

Dr David Llewellyn CBE

The event was staged in the attractive Tithe Barn at Springhill Farm, Pershore, the home of Jonathan Bomford who hosted the gathering and which was attended by five members of the Bomford family.

Amongst the guests was John Fox, now in his 90s, who had joined Bomford and Evershed in 1957.  Ever the innovator, John was the inspiration behind one of the Bomford’s signature products, the Superflow cultivator, and went on to become long serving managing director and chairman of the company.

He was also responsible for establishing the Douglas Bomford Trust in 1972, with the support of the family, following the death of Douglas Bomford in 1969. An independent charity, which currently controls funds exceeding £5 million, the Trust advances £150,000 annually to those engaged in research projects in the design, production and innovation of agricultural and horticultural machinery and equipment.

Typically it will co-sponsor ten PhDs, scholarships and awards to promising students wishing to enhance their studies and skills. The Trust also sponsors student subscription membership of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE).

Nick August and Dr David Llewellyn CBE

To mark the 50th Anniversary, the Trust announced the appointment of its first Patron, Dr David Llewellyn CBE, the former Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University who retired in July 2021 and who featured in the New Year Honours in January 2022.

The chairman of the DBT Trustees, Nick August, who farms at Burford, Oxfordshire presented a commemorative plaque to Dr Llewellyn who spoke about the challenges facing farming in the current climate and particularly the need to address the shortage of labour.