The Farmers’ Union of Wales will highlight the importance of family farms and their links to the wider rural community during the National Eisteddfod at Llanelli next week (August 2-9).

On Sunday and Monday (August 3-4) of the event Carmarthenshire farmer's wife Nicola Dickenson will display her range of kids clothing "Kids Casuals" at the FUW stand.

Nicola diversified from farming after deciding that the income of the farm was not enough in 2001.

Using her own farming-themed designs to create t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps and socks for kids, the clothing is designed and printed on the farm at Esgair Farm, Llanpumpsaint.

She believes her clothes have a personal touch, highlighting a farming theme featuring tractors and diggers, as she understands how appealing these are to children of all ages.

She and her husband Martin, a PCSO for rural policing serving in Carmarthen, have been farming for over 20 years running the 72-acre farm with a small suckler herd.

In the near future they hope to go into direct meat sales.

Representatives from Agri-Advisor will also be at hand on Monday (August 4) between 10am and 4pm to provide advice on farming issues and concerns.

On Tuesday (August 5) at 11am there will be an “open discussion” at the stand on a range of topics covering rural crime and farming policing links, with Dyfed-Powys Police chief commissioner Christopher Salmon.

Members will get a chance to discuss current farming issues on Wednesday(August 6) when Labour MP Nia Griffith, Plaid Cymru AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas, Welsh Liberal Democrat AM William Powell and FUW director of policy Nick Fenwick visit the stand at 11am.

On the afternoon of Tuesday and Wednesday (August 5-6) there will be free milk tasting from local supplier WJ Phillips and Sons of Cwm Dairy Farm, Cwmffrwd, Carmarthen.

The family business, which has been running for over 45 years, delivers milk to households and businesses in an area stretching from St Clears to Pontyates. One of their businesses is Castell Howell food wholesalers.

The family purchased the dairy milk round business in 1969 from FUW member, Brian Thomas, Gelliddu, Carmarthen. The business is now run by Mr Phillips' sons Mike and Dorian.

They milk 90 Holstein Friesian cows with 55 followers, own 85 acres and rent another 25.

“What makes their milk stand out and what their customers like, is the fact that they can chose between homogenised or non-homogenised milk and we look forward to tasting it,” said FUW Carmarthenshire county executive officer David Waters.

“We are also looking forward to the prose medal presentation on Wednesday at 4pm.

"This prestigious award for the best piece of prose on the topic of 'confrontation' has been sponsored by the FUW Carmarthenshire branch with a prize fund of £750,” added Mr Waters.

On Thursday and Friday (August 6-7) local weaver Judy Roberts will be displaying her craft skills.

She has been spinning for 40 years, designing garments and patterns to suit the yarn produced.

She mixes natural fibres such as silk, wool, alpaca, cashmere, angora, yak and camel to produce some outstanding yarns.

She has taught knitting and knitwear design in Llandeilo and runs a weekly knitting group in Llanarthne and additionally provides personal tuition in the art of spinning.

“Throughout the week, children will be able to enter farming-themed colouring competitions with a range of prizes and are invited to find the ear tag of Tegwyn the cow as she travels across the country.

“Children can pick a square on a coloured numbered board to guess where she has lost her ear tag on her travels across Wales.

"Each square cost £1 and the money raised will go to children’s hospice charities Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith.

“Representative from the YFC and RABI will be on the stand daily and we look forward to welcoming representatives of land consultants Philip Meade by the end of the week to our stand,” added Mr Waters.

Throughout the week there will be a warm welcome, as well as  light refreshments, for all to enjoy and members of FUW Carmarthenshire staff will be on hand to discuss general farming issues.

S4C Ffermio presenter and Carmarthenshire farmer’s daughter Meinir Jones today (Thursday July 24) received the Farmers' Union of Wales Bob Davies Memorial Award after being  nominated by farmers in Pembrokeshire impressed by an item she presented on the programme about the impact of bovine TB and the Welsh Government’s current eradication policy.

The award - in memory of Farmers Weekly Wales correspondent Bob Davies, of Welshpool, who died in November 2009 - is offered to a media personality who has raised the public profile of Welsh farming.

Receiving the award - a shepherd's crook specially carved by Aberystwyth stick maker Hywel Evans - from FUW president Emyr Jones, Miss Jones said: “I would like to thank the FUW for considering me a worthy winner of the award.

“Farming and the countryside are very close to my heart as my post with Ffermio goes hand in hand with my interest in working at home on the beef, cattle and sheep family farm of my parents Eifion and Doris and brother Eirian.”

FUW Pembrokeshire county executive officer Rebecca Voyle said: “The issue of bTB and how to eradicate it can be very contentious so members wanted to formally acknowledge the work Meinir and the Ffermio team are doing to highlight the impact the disease has on the industry and to thank her for giving a voice to those who suffer the daily consequences of it.

“In particular, members were extremely impressed by the sympathetic way in which she told the story of how the disease has impacted on Griff Owen and his business and relayed the day-to-day frustrations of farming with the disease.

“Members also praised the way in which she interviewed the then minister Alun Davies and challenged his responses to her questions.”

Meinir was brought up on Maesteilo Farm in Capel Isaac, near Llandeilo, and attended Llanfynydd church school and Ysgol Tre-gib, Llandeilo, where she was head girl. 

She graduated from the University of Wales Aberystwyth in 2007 and began working as a researcher for Telesgop in June 2007, and has directed on programmes such as Ffermio and Digwyddiadau since 2009.

Since an early age Meinir has committed to working on the family farm at every given opportunity and now enjoys displaying her own flock of Welsh Balwen sheep at a number of shows throughout the summer.

Llanfynydd Young Farmers Club is another interest that lies very close to her heart and she feels deeply indebted to an organisation that has given her so many unforgettable experiences whilst creating lifelong friendships.

She takes part in a wide cross section of competitions including public speaking, half-hour entertainment, stock-judging and shearing.

[caption id="attachment_3010" align="aligncenter" width="640"] S4C Ffermio presenter and Carmarthenshire farmer’s daughter Meinir Jones today (Thursday July 24) received the Farmers' Union of Wales Bob Davies Memorial Award[/caption]

Recently-retired Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) regional officer  for Wales Erys Hughes was honoured by the Farmers' Union of Wales at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd yesterday (Wednesday July 23 ) when he was presented with the union's annual external award for services to the agricultural industry in Wales.

Mr Hughes joined RABI in May 1999 as a part-time regional welfare officer looking after beneficiaries in Wales and joined the fundraising, marketing and communications team on a full-time basis in September 2001.

RABI also utilise his vast amount of experience and expertise at Manson and Beaufort House, RABI’s two residential homes where he is a regular visitor welcomed warmly by residents and staff.

Paying tribute to the contribution of Mr Hughes to Welsh farming for so many years, FUW president Emyr Jones said: "It is highly significant that the nominations for this award are made by the union's members throughout Wales and then our county branches vote on each nomination.

"This ensures those who receive the award are very worthy recipients and can be assured they have the strong support of a huge number of Welsh farmers. Therefore, I am delighted to present Erys with this award today.

“The work RABI does for farming families in Wales is invaluable.  We have seen extreme weather such as drought, rain, floods, heavy snow, and more floods making recent years the most challenging for farming families and RABI have, since 2001 when foot and mouth wreaked havoc, supported farming families in Wales totaling over one million pounds in grants.

“Erys has been at the forefront of these efforts here in Wales and for this we thank him today.”

Mr Hughes was born and raised on a smallholding and even today he assists close family during some of the busy periods of the farming calendar. He worked for over 30 years for three county councils in Wales in positions including mental welfare officer, social worker and senior social worker.

He is a founder member and chairperson for a number of years of the Welshpool branch of MIND, an active committee member of the Mid Wales branch of RELATE and a regular member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal which involved sitting on appeals usually on a monthly basis.

RABI chief executive Paul Burrows said: “Erys has certainly raised the profile and awareness of RABI since he became the charity’s first regional manager for Wales.

“His charming and persuasive personality certainly helped him become well-known across the whole of Wales and in addition to promoting the work of RABI he helped promote Welsh agriculture. He is a gentleman and a true professional.

“The overall impact of the last three years means it may take many farmers years to recover their losses. This is in addition to the economic effect of other problems we help people with such as illness, accidents, family breakdown, bereavement, and animal disease such as bovine TB, or simply the inability to make a living from their business, or survive comfortably in retirement.

“Throughout 2013 we gave £393,322.00 to help farming families in Wales.

“Even the best-managed business can be hit by unexpected events, and farms of all sizes, all over the country, have been affected, with the impact falling on owner farmers, tenant farmers and farm workers as well as their families.

“The support we have given to people in the past year has ranged from helping to pay utility and council tax arrears, rent and bankruptcy fees, paying for funerals, heating, clothing and even food vouchers.

“We are very lucky to have Erys on our team and we are most delighted with the recognition of services to agriculture in Wales awarded to him today by the Farmers’ Union of Wales,” added Mr Burrows.

[caption id="attachment_3007" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] FUW president Emyr Jones presenting recently-retired Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) regional officer for Wales Erys Hughes with the union's annual external award for services to the agricultural industry in Wales[/caption]

An increase in the number of new entrants to the dairy sector, have been described as extremely positive for the industry by the Farmers’ Union of Wales today.

“With the abolition of milk quotas in 2015, new entrants will have a positive starting platform and this has been recognised by the almost 200 new dairy farmers who are expressing an interest in joining the industry in the coming year,” said FUW vice president Brian Walters.

The union has long campaigned to see more Welsh milk on the shelves of supermarkets and strongly hopes that retailers will support our new dairy farmers by sourcing their dairy products closer to home and not looking elsewhere in a market that is in direct competition with ours.

“There are some concerns that increased milk production may have an affect on the milk price and we would therefor continue to urge processors to pay our farmers a fair price to ensure that the new entrants will not be let down by their home market,” added Mr Walters.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has described a meeting with newly appointed DEFRA secretary of state, Liz Truss, as extremely positive.

Speaking after the meeting, which took place at the Royal Welsh Show today (July 21), FUW president Emyr Jones said “We covered a range of issues of concern to the Welsh industry, including bovine TB, farmgate commodity prices, and the future of the CAP.

“We also took the opportunity to congratulate the minister on the newly announced £400 million plan for public procurement.”

Mr Jones said there was a great deal of common ground, and that the union looked forward to working with the minister over the coming months with regard to those issues which are not devolved.

[caption id="attachment_3002" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] from left: FUW finance and organisation committee member Eifion Huws, DEFRA secretary of state Liz Truss, FUW president Emyr Jones and FUW deputy president Glyn Roberts[/caption]

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed a commitment by prime minister David Cameron and environment secretary Liz Truss to boost public food procurement by central government.

The plan for public procurement, worth £400 million for British farming, would see central government committing to buying fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food, from 2017.

Speaking after a reception with prime minister David Cameron, FUW president Emyr Jones said: “Whilst we understand that this is a central government plan, it will clearly bring benefits for farmers across the UK, and we hope will encourage all public bodies to follow suit, including those not run by central government and in Wales.

“The FUW has been lobbying for precisely this type of commitment ever since I have been involved with the union and we congratulate Mr Cameron for this initiative. “

“It is in all our interests to ensure that all public bodies use locally sourced and seasonal food to ensure a prosperous and thriving economy.

“It is extremely frustrating when some government departments work hard to support rural communities and promote our produce, while others are actively buying from our competitors,” added Mr Jones.