With the growing interest in pick your own (PYO) pumpkin enterprises as a diversification opportunity for farmers, Farming Connect recently hosted an on-farm event at Aberbran Fawr near Brecon to discuss the key points to consider. In this episode, we hear from Chris Creed, a horticultural consultant with ADAS, and Andy Matthews, the farmer at Aberbran Fawr, about the practicalities of establishing the crop through to harvesting, marketing and selling.

Yn y bennod hon, ry’n ni'n cwrdd â Sam Carey sydd yn y broses o sefydlu fferm laeth newydd ym Machynlleth gan ddefnyddio egwyddorion ffermio adfywiol. Ni hefyd yn cael cwmni un o'n cyfranwyr rheolaidd ar y podlediad, Rhys Williams o gwmni Precision Grazing.

In this episode, we meet Sam Carey who is in the process of establishing a new dairy farm in Machynlleth using the principles of regenerative farming. We’re also joined by one of our regular contributors on the podcast, Rhys Williams of Precision Grazing.

Yn y bennod hon, rydyn ni'n cwrdd â Tom Evans sy'n ffermio gyda'i wraig Beth a'i blant ar Fferm Pendre ger Aberystwyth. Mae Tom yn stocmon brwd ac yn credu'n gryf “os ydych chi'n edrych ar ôl y stoc, bydd y stoc yn edrych ar ôl chi”. Tiwniwch i mewn i glywed mwy am ei athroniaeth ffermio a'r prosiectau y mae wedi'u cyflawni fel safle arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio.

In this episode, we meet Tom Evans who farms with his wife Beth and children at Pendre Farm near Aberystwyth. Tom is a keen stockman and believes firmly that “if you look after the stock, the stock will look after you”. Tune in to hear more about his farming philosophy and the projects he has undertaken as a Farming Connect demonstration site.

Yn y bennod hon, rydyn ni'n cwrdd â Huw Jones sy'n ffermio gyda'i wraig Meinir ar Fferm Bryn ger Aberteifi. Gyda'i gilydd maent yn rhedeg buches sugno, yn tyfu haidd, ceirch a gwenith ochr yn ochr â'u prosiectau arallgyfeirio sy'n cynnwys busnes cynhyrchu gwair a gwellt i anifeiliaid anwes a bythynnod gwyliau. Fel safle arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio, mae Fferm Bryn hefyd yn cymryd rhan mewn nifer o brosiectau sy'n edrych ar ffyrdd o wella perfformiad y fuches ac i sicrhau'r budd mwyaf o bori cylchdro.

In this episode, we meet Huw Jones who farms with his wife Meinir at Bryn Farm near Cardigan. Together they run a suckler beef enterprise, grow barley, oats and wheat alongside their diversification projects which includes an animal bedding business servicing the pet industry and holiday lets. As a Farming Connect demonstration site, Bryn Farm is also involved in a number of projects looking at ways to improve the performance of the beef herd and to maximise the benefits of rotational grazing.

This week Jim follows the business and innovation agri academy 2020's first in person meeting on Rhidian and Elen Glyn's farm Rhiwgriafol near Machynlleth. The afternoon was then hosted by Heledd and Phil Dancer down the road in Tanyffordd, Cemaes. We hear from both Rhidian and Heledd about their journey in to farming.  

This week the team have been back recording on location and have visited Mountjoy Farm near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire; one of Farming Connect’s demonstration sites. Mountjoy is a dairy farm run by second generation farmer William Hannah and his family. William’s objective is to build an “enjoyable and profitable business” and, in this episode, he talks about some of the projects that he’s been involved with as a demonstration site including methods of introducing superior genetics into the dairy herd and ways of reducing the use of nitrogen fertiliser inputs.