The Farmers’ Union of Wales has a new presidential team at its helm to lead the organisation forward in its Mission to ensure there are thriving, sustainable family farms in Wales.
Joining newly elected President Ian Rickman at the top are Pembrokeshire dairy farmer Dai Miles as deputy President; North Wales beef and sheep farmer Alun Owen as North Wales Vice President; Glamorgan beef and sheep farmer Brian Bowen as South Wales Vice President and Ceredigion sheep farmer Anwen Hughes as Mid Wales Vice President.
Dai Miles grew up in Felin Fach and attended Aberaeron Comprehensive school. Not from a farming family, Dai started his farming career by attending the Welsh Agricultural College in Aberystwyth where he received a National Diploma in Agriculture and completed a sandwich year at Godor Nantgaredig.
After college he spent five years as a herdsman at Waun Fawr, Glynarthen, Llandysul and then a further five years at IGER Trawscoed working on the conventional herd and organic herd at Ty Gwyn before taking the brave step to take a tenancy in Pembrokeshire with his wife Sharron.
They currently farm approximately 70 acres owned land, 200 on FBT’s and 100 acres on short term lets which is all organic. They’re milking 120 cows on a grazed robotic milking system in addition to rearing all calves for either herd replacements or store beef cattle. One of their sons, Llyr, has recently joined the business.
Dai, who was the FUW’s Vice President for South Wales, is also a past Chairman of the FUW’s Milk and Dairy Produce Committee, a past County Chairman of the FUW in Pembrokeshire and Vice Chairman of the FUW’s Tenants Committee.
In addition, Dai has participated in Farming Connect’s Agri-Academy Rural Leadership Programme which has helped him to further develop his communication skills to enable him to undertake his roles away from the farm more effectively.
As well as managing the family farm with Sharron and lately Llyr, in 2000 Dai and four other organic dairy farmers founded Calon Wen Organic Milk Co-operative. The co-operative, which is owned by 25 farming families, helps to secure a long-term market for organic milk from Wales by supporting organic processing needs in Wales.
In 2013 he became Managing Director of the enterprise. The company now supplies its own brand of milk, butter, and cheeses to major retailers in Wales and the UK, as well as a wide range of other retail outlets and also exports to Japan and the Middle East.
Central to Dai’s success is a passionate belief that a profitable agricultural industry is the key to maintaining the countryside and rural culture of Wales for future generations.
Alun Owen farms at Gallt-y-Celyn, Pentrefoelas with his wife Marian and son Siôn. Gallt-Y-Celyn is an upland farm producing store cattle and fat lambs on the Foelas estate in the Uwchaled area, and lies between 600 and 800 feet above the sea. In addition, another holding is part of a business located in Pen Llŷn. Alun and his wife Marian took over the business from his parents some time ago and have been members with FUW for many years.
Alun believes that it is important that Wales has a strong voice within the agricultural industry and has been the FUW county chairman for Denbighshire. He believes that it is important and his duty to try and meet with everyone from outside the industry in order to facilitate their understanding of the agriculture sector.
Brian Bowen farms a mixed suckler cow and hill sheep unit near Tredegar. The farm consists of 150 acres of owned land with a further 1000 rented acres and 1200 acres of common rights on three separate commons. He runs the farm, along with his father, mother and son.
He served as FUW Brecon and Radnor Vice Chairman from 2008 and was elected as its County Chairman in 2010. He has been the Brecon and Radnor delegate on the FUW livestock, wool and marts committee since 2009.
Anwen Hughes farms 80 acres at Bryngido farm, just outside of Aberaeron in Ceredigion, in partnership with her husband Rhodri. The family keeps around 200 Lleyn and Lleyn cross ewes on a low input- high output, grass based system. Anwen has been farming since 1995 and in addition also owns in partnership with her mother Betty Davies a further 48 acres which is rented to her oldest son Glyn.