The Farmers’ Union of Wales is urging decision makers and Governments to ensure that mental health services remain high on the agenda, ahead of World Mental Health Day (Sunday, 10 October). 

The 2021 World Mental Health Day campaign ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’, run by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), aims to focus on the issues that perpetuate mental health inequality locally and globally. 

FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “I would say we are lucky in Wales and in our rural communities that we have the support of many mental health charities such as the DPJ Foundation, that our farmers and rural communities can call on for help. However, many people with a mental illness still do not receive the treatment that they are entitled to and deserve and together with their families and carers continue to experience stigma and discrimination.”

Four miles south of Machynlleth, nestled in the Dyfi valley and on the edges of the Cambrian mountains is Cefn Coch Farm, home to Dr Joseph Hope. The farm lies at about 200 to 250 meters above sea level and the land rises to the south and you can walk to the summit of Pumlumon without seeing a road or a house. 

The farm has 40 acres of species-rich pasture and woodland, and Joe is currently buying another 50 acres at Ynyslas. A new entrant, he keeps a small growing herd of Highland cattle, currently just 12 head in total. 4 saddleback x wild boar pigs are also busy clearing bracken and brambles in order to rehabilitate it for grazing.

Joe moved to Cefn Coch just over 6 years ago, leaving behind a life in Edinburgh, and a career at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh where he worked as a lichenologist. He initially let out the fields to a neighbour for grazing sheep and cattle and it was only 3 years ago that he bought his first cattle – 3 cows and calves. It was a big shift but got him hooked into pursuing a farming life.

“I guess I just wanted to get my hands dirty! Working at the Botanic Gardens was a real privilege but very cerebral. I wanted to do rather than just observe. I inherited money from the sale of my grandmother’s farm in Australia and didn’t just want to pile it into stocks and shares. I have a long interest in conservation and the countryside and came here to look after what seemed to me to be a very special patch of land. In time I decided that the best way to do that was by continuing to farm sensitively,” explained Joe. 

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) had positive talks with Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, with tree planting and the purchase of Welsh land for the purpose of carbon offsetting by businesses from outside of Wales taking centre stage.

The FUW has received reports from members on almost a weekly basis of whole farms or parcels of land being bought up by individuals and businesses from outside of Wales for the purpose of tree planting in order to invest in the growing carbon market or offset their own emissions rather than seeking to reduce their carbon footprint in the first instance.

“Our longstanding concerns regarding this issue were discussed in a recent meeting of the Union’s Council. Members felt strongly that the Welsh Government and Senedd should take urgent action to tackle this issue through some form of control mechanism,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.

Farmers from Ceredigion, Carmarthen and Pembrokeshire have highlighted concerns of the industry, including the future of agricultural policy in Wales and bovine TB, when they met with Cefin Campbell Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales.

Hosting the meeting was Farmers’ Union of Wales member Meirion Rees, who farms in partnership with his parents, Val and Meurig Rees at Penrallt Meredith, Crosswell, Eglwyswrw.

The family farming business was started by Meirion’s parents, Val and Meurig, over 40 years ago.  Originally a dairy farm the family stopped milking around 20 years ago and kept suckler cows and sheep.  

Meirion went to University in Cardiff to study civil engineering and spent 10 years working on different engineering projects in all parts of the country. However, he always kept an interest in the farm and helped out when he could. Eight years ago he moved back to the farm full time.