Richard Vaughan is 49 years of age, and has been a keen and active supporter of the Farmers' Union of Wales for many years. He was Merioneth FUW's County Chairman between 2007-2009, and was Chairman of the Union’s central Land Use and Parliamentary Committee from 2006 to 2011. He was North Wales member of the Union's central Finance and Organisation Committee from 2010 before being elected Vice President in June 2011. Recently, he has worked assiduously leading the Union's representations on the Glastir Scheme.
He is a member of the Meirionnydd Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's Advisory Committee, and represents the County on the Membership Committee in Builth Wells. He also sits on the Council of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society. He is a former Chairman of the Meirionnydd Grassland Society and past Chairman of Tywyn Town Council as well as other associated committees.
Pall Mall Farm is situated on the A493 to the north of Tywyn. The farm is one of two holdings, totalling 550 acres, and is farmed by Richard and his wife Dwynwen. Most of the land is at Pant y Panel and Prysglwyd at Rhydymain near Dolgellau. A flock of 750 Welsh Mountain Sheep is kept, together with 150 ewe lambs replacements. Around 200 ewes are crossed with Texel and Suffolk rams, and the remainder with Welsh Mountain. Approximately 30 store cattle are kept and fattened over the summer.
Richard is well qualified to speak on the Glastir Scheme, since his farm was one of the first to join the Tir Cymen Scheme when Meirionnydd was chosen as a pilot area in the early 1990s. It benefited greatly from the scheme and the farm is now in its final year in the Tir Gofal Scheme. As part of these schemes, capital works have been carried out, including stone walls, fencing, hedging, tree planting, wild life ponds and even an otter den.
Pall Mall Farm has been successfully diversified over the last forty years. Outbuildings have been converted, two chalets built, and a caravan site established which, by today, has around 100 units. Richard and Dwynwen have also developed a successful business purchasing and renovating houses in Aberystwyth to be let out as flats and bed-sits. Richard sees this as an important part of the business which brings in valuable extra income without taking him away too often from his farming activities.
Richard and Dwynwen have two children - Beca, who is thirteen years old, and Tomi, twelve. His eldest son David is nineteen and has recently returned home to Wales from New Zealand.