by Angharad Evans, Welsh Language Communications Officer

Every shepherd or shepherdess has to rely completely and put 100% faith and trust in the relationship with the farm's sheepdog. A good sheepdog is essential for the day-to-day work of the farm, as there are remote locations on every farm that a four-wheel vehicle cannot access. But sometimes the relationship develops so well that a shepherd ventures into the world of training and selling sheepdogs. And this is the story of a young member from Ceredigion, Rhys Griffiths, who has recently been enjoying considerable success.

Rhys has developed a keen interest in training sheepdogs, but where did the interest start? Here is Rhys to explain more: “My interest in sheepdogs goes back to my upbringing - sheepdogs were used on the farm at home for work every day. From a very young age I watched my father, Idwal Glant train a number of sheep dogs in the field near the house. Mum also used sheep dogs with her daily work on the farm. I used to enjoy going with Dad to sheepdog sales in Bala, Sennybridge and Skipton, and the interest has only grown since then.

There will be plenty to see and do on the FUW stand at this year's National Eisteddfod Tregaron, and something for everyone of all ages!

Every afternoon from Monday to Friday at 2 o'clock, we will reminisce about the one and only Dai Jones Llanilar while watching Cefn Gwlad programmes and having a chat over a cup of tea and some cake.

On Wednesday there will be plenty of mischief and fun between 11am and 12pm when Ifan and the Strab - Tomos Lewis Bwlch - and Ifan Jones Evans from the BBC will be discussing hot topics of the day such as football, Mydroilyn YFC, farming, girls... and much more! Keep an eye out for Tomos along the Maes on Monday and Tuesday when he and his 'Strabets' will be walking around creating a ruckus about the interview which will be broadcasted on Radio Cymru.

Have you ever seen a pony as pretty as Siani the Shetland? Well why not come along to our stand on Monday and Friday to meet the star herself and have your picture taken with her? The local author Anwen Francis will be over at our stand reading from her books and also launching a colouring competition on the Monday and then back with Siani on the Friday to judge and award the winning picture.

Thursday at 11am local singer Doreen Lewis will be with us performing live and of course there will also be an opportunity to meet our staff every day over some tasty treats and a nice cup of tea.

On Monday 23rd of May, a payment plan development workshop, 'Hedges and Edges', was held on Fferm Fedw Arian in Rhyd Uchaf near Bala. 'Hedges and Edges' is a Coed Cadw proposal and the charity hopes the Welsh Government will use its proposals as part of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme. The workshop was being held to give the Farmers’ Union of Wales and NFU Cymru an opportunity to jointly develop the plan, and give feedback to Coed Cadw.

As one element of the proposals, this scheme would provide a type of basic payment based on the mapping of existing hedges and wooded edges, with more money available to improve the condition of those hedges and to plant new ones.

For those farmers who have already done a lot to improve and develop the hedges on their farms, there would be a maintenance payment on the work that has already been completed. The aim of the plan is to create a form of additional basic payment that can achieve ecological objectives while being accessible to all. This kind of plan would also enable farmers to increase the number of trees in Wales without losing farms or planting trees in fertile fields.

by Angharad Evans, Welsh Language Communications Officer 

I spent most of the year 1992 in the company of Digion y Dolffin. Yes, you read correctly…Digion y Dolffin! Digion y Dolffin was the mascot of the Aberystwyth National Eisteddfod 1992 Children's Pageant - “Seth Gwenwyn a’r Gwyrddedigion” - a pageant telling the story of a group of young people who wanted to save Cantre'r Gwaelod from Seth Gwenwyn's siege! 

I have to admit that I have a hazy memory of the period, but I do remember all the rehearsals for months before, and the feeling of being very small on such a big stage to take part in the Cnapan scene during the Pageant. By now, I realise how unforgettable the experience was and of course the honour of being able to take part in such a special event.

Fast forward exactly 30 years, and the Eisteddfod returns to Ceredigion, and finally, Tregaron, has the opportunity to welcome the Eisteddfod to the area. After the disappointment of the last two years of having to postpone, the area is now more than ready to welcome Wales to mid Ceredigion!

During the first week of August, Tregaron and the surrounding area will extend a welcome to everyone, and many have been looking forward to seeing old friends around the Maes and enjoying the various programmes and sessions that show our culture and language at their best.

The rain luckily held off for the Wales YFC Sports Day on 19th June this year, where many of our talented members turned up to compete at Brecon Leisure Centre.

Starting at 10am, the morning consisted of the team competitions; Touch Rugby, Ultimate Frisbee, Ladies “Rush” Hockey and Men’s Dodgeball.

Carmarthenshire came first in the Men’s Dodgeball, where we were fortunate enough to have representatives from Rhondda Dragons Dodgeball Club to volunteer their time, kit and expertise. The competition was a great success, and although competitive, the atmosphere was an extremely fun one! Second place went to Gwent Federation, and third to Brecknock.

On the AstroTurf, the ladies “rush” hockey took place, with Brecknock winning first place with their fast and precise shots. Radnor came a close second, with Gwent following in third place.

The adrenaline-pumping Ultimate Frisbee went down well with our younger members, testing their agility and catching skills in a new and exciting competition. Brecknock reached the top, and Ceredigion achieved second, therefore both teams will be going forward representing Wales at the NFYFC Sports Day in July. Pembrokeshire achieved third place. That wasn’t the last we saw of Brecknock’s achievements, as their touch rugby team also came in first place, Carmarthenshire in Second and Pembrokeshire in third.

It was great to see a crowd of young people from all over the country gather at Ruthin Mart on a sunny day during late April to compete and socialise after a rather miserable time.

The Field Day is held annually and is an opportunity for members of the Wales Young Farmers Clubs of all ages to come together to learn and share essential skills for working safely in agriculture.

Including activities such as fencing, farm machinery skills, sheep dog trials, Fferm Ffactor, auctioneering and junior and senior stock judging, there is enough variety for all keen young farmers to demonstrate their rural knowledge and skills when undertaking the various challenges during the day.