The Union and I - Tom Jones

I was born in 1949, a "baby boomer", one of four children; two brothers and a sister, on Penygroes Farm, Llanfechell, where my father farmed. It was a mixed farm, with sheep, chickens and Welsh Black cattle; it was the cattle that mostly interested my father (R T Jones), and he would milk them too, as many farms did during that time.

Agriculture was an integral part of my upbringing, and I even have an early childhood memory of accompanying my Father to catch rabbits and taking them to the station in Rhosgoch in order to transport them to Manchester to be sold for meat - that was before the "mixo" disease arrived in the early 1950s.

I attended the primary school in the parish of Llanfair in Conwy, before moving on to Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones, Amlwch. It was during a time when there was a great emphasis on success at school. Although I would never describe myself as an academic by nature, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go on to Bangor University, to study Agriculture and Agricultural Economics.

After graduating, I got a job with the Dairy Board as a Farm Management Consultant. I started my career in East Anglia, where I stayed for just over a year, before moving to west Wales and settling in Llandeilo for around two more years.

As my Father was not in the best of health, I returned to Anglesey in 1975 to farm alongside my brother. 1976 was an important year, getting married to Eluned and moving to Maes Mawr, a farm where my Father had previously been a tenant, and by now had bought. In 1982, we started producing milk, and Eurig and Elen, the children, had arrived too.

Returning to the Island, I had more opportunity to get involved with the Farmers’ Union of Wales. My family's connection with the Union went back many years, as my Father was amongst the first members of the Union in its early days - with Llanfechell amongst the first branches of the Union!

Shortly afterwards, on behalf of the Union, I was appointed to the Price Review Committee, alongside Tom Jones and Roger Evans. Referring to the university background of us three, one newspaper headline referred to our appointment as "Union goes for brains!" That was a particularly challenging time, as the milk quotas were introduced - a development that challenged the dairy industry in Wales as there were a large number of farmers expanding their businesses - including myself in Maes Mawr.

In the same period, I was also elected as one of the Union’s Vice-Presidents - a position I held until 1989. It was quite a busy period, and 1986 in particular was a significant challenge, with the Chernobyl disaster. Along with Bob Parry, also from Anglesey and Chairman of the Livestock Committee at the time, we were in the thick of it, with real concern in the sector about the implications of the radioactive cloud on the uplands and agriculture of Wales.

I remember one particularly fiery meeting with the Government in Llanrwst which saw farmers' frustration reach boiling point - and the BBC's headline read "Civil servants taken hostage"! We had to call the Secretary of Wales, Nick Edwards MP, and get him to agree to meet us in order to calm the situation!

By the early 1990s, I took a step back from my work with the Union, as a vacant seat became available to represent North Wales on the Milk Board. There were three of us competing for the role - and through a mixture of luck and the strong support of my agent, Meurig Voyle, I managed to win the seat. I held that position until the Board was abolished in 1994. Following that, I spent a decade on the Dairy Crest Board.

The experience of being on a board of a business was a valuable opportunity to familiarise myself with compliance issues and business models, and that was of considerable help when taking on a new role with the Union in 2013, as Chair of FUW Insurance Services.

I served as Chairman for over a decade, despite many significant challenges - and without a doubt, the pandemic being the biggest challenge. It was also a positive period; and it was a privilege to see the company grow from strength to strength, and leave it with firm foundations.

I am very proud to say that my journey with the Union is not over. At the moment I am honoured to hold the important position of FUW Anglesey County Chair - a role to the surprise of some, that I had never held before!

During many decades of work and support of the Union, its importance as an independent voice that supports Welsh farmers has never been as important or as essential as it is today.