[caption id="attachment_4091" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Eurwyn Roberts[/caption]

A Flintshire farmer who operates a caravan park on his land has been appointed the new chairman of the Farmers' Union of Wales farm diversification committee.

Eurwyn Roberts lives at Gwrachen Farm, Wern Road, Hendre, Mold, with his wife Janet, sons Delwyn (21) and Ianto (16), and daughter Sioned (13) and runs a 150-acre arable and beef unit at Maes Elwy, Trefnant, St Asaph, where four acres are devoted to a static site for 15 caravans.

He grows 60 acres of barley to feed and house store cattle, mainly Friesian bullocks. "I used to milk 150 Friesians and call them into the milking parlour with a 'Come on girls' command. Now I say 'Come on boys' - and I don't have to get up early to milk them!" he said.

Delwyn works part-time on the farm and as a builder for a local fireplace installation company. "I also help my brother Dylan on his farm at Fron, Hendre, where he has a touring caravan site," said Eurwyn.

"I believe farm diversification is crucial for us as a family and for the whole area. It's surprising how many holidaymakers who use our caravan sites also shop locally and pop into the local pub for a meal. They are very important to the survival of the local economy."

Mr Roberts succeeds Deilwen Breese, of Gogarth, Pennal, near Machynlleth, who has been the committee's chairman for over a decade.

[caption id="attachment_4088" align="aligncenter" width="551"] FUW Gwent county chairman Elwyn Probert - furthest right - presents a £3,000 cheque to Emyr Jones. Also pictured - from left - is FUW Glamorganshire county executive officer Rachel Taylor, Glyn Davies and Lorraine Howells.[/caption]

South Wales farmers "riding" wooden horses on a farm in the Rhymney Valley have helped raise around £4,000 for cancer charities and money is still rolling in. 

The "jockeys" were competing at a joint fund-raising event organised by the Farmers' Union of Wales Gwent and Glamorgan county branches for union president Emyr Jones' charity fund Cancer Research Wales and for Velindre Cancer Centre, Whitchurch, Cardiff.

The event, on FUW vice president Lorraine Howells' Cwm Carno Farm, near Tredegar, featured wooden horse races where six horses were auctioned off before each race with the winners proceeding to a grand final.

Bidding was brisk with the auction raising almost £1,000. A top price of £40 was paid by FUW Gwent area officer Neil Smith for the last horse to be auctioned but it failed to qualify for the final.

"The event was attended by about 150 people who on arrival were served with a wonderful cold meat supper meal prepared by Joyce Matthews and Cheryl Evans plus numerous helpers," said FUW Gwent county executive officer Glyn Davies.

"All the food for the evening was donated by local members and businesses and I am sure that everyone who attended would agree that the excellent food could not be bettered.

"All the races, including the grand final, were sponsored by local businesses to which grateful thanks are extended.

"The event displayed the wonderful camaraderie which exists in the local farming communities and the way in which they can come together at such an event is to be applauded.

"Miss Howells should also be congratulated for thinking of holding such an event but she has now created a precedent for fund-raising events which will be hard to follow."

A full house at the Farmers' Union of Wales Flintshire county branch annual general meeting at Rhosesmor Village Hall provided the guest speakers with plenty of challenging and thought-provoking questions.

Christianne Glossop and David Jones gave interesting insights into their current roles as chief veterinary officer for Wales and principal of Deeside College (which includes Coleg Llysfasi and Northop College) respectively.

"With a common theme of Welsh agriculture running through the presentations, it was a reminder of the different challenges currently facing the industry," said FUW county executive officer Rhys Roberts.

"From the ongoing battle with bTB and the newer challenge of diseases such as the Schmallenberg Virus, through to the ever-increasing problem of attracting new entrants into farming in Wales and beyond, Dr Glossop and Mr Jones provided positive evidence on how their respective sectors were tackling these issues, whilst also remaining receptive to members' concerns on what are emotive and sometimes frustrating subjects."

The evening was chaired by county chairman Clwyd Spencer who, in his annual report to members, highlighted some of the issues that have made this year a particularly difficult one for farming in Wales, with a combination of poor weather and increasing costs coupled to the recent battle to gain some semblance of fairness for the dairy sector.

An interesting and informative evening was capped with light refreshments provided by the FUW Flintshire ladies committee when those present had an opportunity to chat with the speakers face to face.

[caption id="attachment_4083" align="aligncenter" width="500"] From left, FUW deputy president Glyn Roberts, Derek Vaughan, Emyr Jones and John Bufton.[/caption]

Welsh MEPs Derek Vaughan (Labour) and John Bufton (UKIP) were among several people who visited the Farmers' Union of Wales display at a Rural Wales Exhibition in the European Parliament building in Brussels this week.

Hosted by Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans, the aim of the exhibition is to show how Wales uses its EU Rural Development Funding to develop a sustainable economy in rural Wales.

The FUW display featured two Farming Connect demonstration farms run by union members Dilwyn Jenkins, of Cerrigcaranau, Talybont, near Aberystwyth, and Tudur Jones of Ty'n Rhos, Pentrefoelas, Gwynedd.

The FUW is closely linked to organisations such as Farming Connect - a Rural Development funded programme which helps farmers and their families run their business more efficiently through the provision of subsidised training, guidance and advice.

FUW president Emyr Jones, who attended the exhibition's opening ceremony on Monday (October 8), said: "It was a golden opportunity for us to put Wales on the map and highlight how well RDP money is being spent."

Other Rural Development funded projects from Wales in the exhibition are "Community Foodie", a cooperation between the Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend and Torfaen Councils; Carmarthenshire Council's "Tywi Afon yr Oesoedd"; Ceredigion Council's "Cynnal y Cardi" and Cadwyn Clwyd's "Denbighshire Green Tourism".

[caption id="attachment_4080" align="aligncenter" width="500"] YOUNGER VOICES: Gwion Owen, left, and Darren Williams[/caption]

The Farmers' Union of Wales is giving young farmers a stronger voice within the organisation after setting up a "Younger Voice for Farming" committee.

One of the union's main priorities has always been to ensure there is an avenue for younger members to feed into its discussions on issues of importance such as CAP reform.

"It is important to include the views of younger members and new entrants to the industry in our work and by establishing this new standing committee we are able to provide another platform for their opinions and views," said FUW president Emyr Jones.

"The union has always striven to represent the views of all its members and include them in the policy-making process. We are now taking on a more modern approach and hope the new committee will be a modern forum for young members and those new to the industry," added Mr Jones.

The committee's first chairman is 39-year-old Breconshire farmer Darren Williams, 39, of Talwen Fawr farm, Garthbrengy, who runs 80 cattle with 30 sucklers and finishers, 500 sheep and 25 acres of arable on the 250-acre tenant farm.

He said: "I am honoured to have been elected as chairman of this committee and will work hard to ensure that the views of the younger farmers are reflected within the work of the union."

Gwion Owen, 34, a Denbighshire sheep farmer, was elected vice chairman. He farms 2,300 ewes at Hendre Arddwyfan farm, Ty Nant, Corwen, on the 560-acre family farm, of which 110 are rented.

He said: "Through this committee we hope to get to bottom of things as regards to the opportunities available to young people to get into the industry and to succeed in achieving a fair wage for young people that mirrors those of other industries."

Two Farming Connect demonstration farms run by Farmers' Union of Wales members will showcase how Wales uses its EU Rural Development funding during an exhibition next week at the European Parliament in Brussels.

The exhibition, which runs from October 8-12, aims to show how Wales uses its RDP funding to develop a sustainable economy in rural Wales.

Dilwyn Jenkins, of Cerrigcaranau, Talybont, near Aberystwyth, runs a 510-acre mixed stock farm where he hosts open days with a focus on a Welsh Black suckler herd, home-grown forages and pre-tupping management of the ewe flock.

The farm is run and managed with family labour, with a mixture of enterprises under organic management. The 510 acres are managed in three blocks, with 110 Holstein Friesian cows milked, 30 pedigree Welsh Black cows, 230 breeding ewes, 80 acres of barley, five acres of fodder beet and two acres of swedes.

The Holstein Friesian cows are currently in an all-year-round calving pattern but are aiming for autumn calving. All replacements are homebred and all calves from the dairy herd are kept as replacements or beef.

Tudur Jones - who farms Ty'n Rhos, a 250-acre upland dairy farm at Pentrefoelas, Gwynedd - believes dairy farmers should focus on what their cows want and gear their systems accordingly. Tudur and family are keen to combine this approach with attention to detail in nutrition and fertility to provide a route to greater profitability.

The family runs 75 dairy cows plus followers and are all year round calving. In addition to the dairy cows they also farm 350 breeding ewes - 250 Welsh Mountain and 100 cross bred ewes which lamb from mid-March. The farm has also diversified and the family run a caravan site on the holding.

Tudur was keen to learn more about the behaviour of his cows and was interested in "cow signals" training. To this end a series of meetings were held with a local veterinarian focusing on the cows' demands on barn, feed and care.

Through its work the FUW is closely linked to organisations such as Farming Connect, a Rural Development funded programme which helps farmers and their families run their business more efficiently through the provision of subsidised training, guidance and advice.

FUW president Emyr Jones, who will be attending the exhibition's opening ceremony on Monday October 8, said: "This is such an exciting opportunity for us to put Wales on the map and highlight some of the excellent work being carried out throughout the country and show how well some of the RDP money is being spent.

"Farming members of the FUW have benefited from Rural Development funded programmes and one of the initiatives run by Farming Connect is a network of demonstration farms across Wales.

"Each demonstration farm provides the opportunity for local farmers to share ideas and gain knowledge and expertise through attending open days and discussion group meetings and we are excited to showcase two excellent examples at the EU Parliament," added Mr Jones.

Other Rural Development funded projects from Wales in the exhibition are "Community Foodie", a cooperation between the Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend and Torfaen Councils, Carmarthenshire Council's "Tywi Afon yr Oesoedd", Ceredigion Council's "Cynnal y Cardi", and Cadwyn Clwyd's "Denbighshire Green Tourism".

Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans, who supports the exhibition, said: "Around two-thirds of Wales is rural which is why EU Rural Development funds are so vitally important for supporting our countryside and rural communities.

"These projects are excellent examples of what can be done to create jobs and develop a sustainable environment."