by Gwion Rowlands, Vice Chairman Meirionnydd FUW

I live in Gaergoed, Glanrafon near Corwen with my wife, Elain, and our children Lleucu 9, Saran 6, and Lliwen 3.

I am very interested in the Union’s work locally, attending the Meirionnydd Executive Committee regularly, and I enjoy discussing current issues. I have been a member of the Union’s Central Council for some years, and in May this year I was elected Vice-Chairman of the county branch. I consider this a privilege, and will do my best to assist and to be involved in the activities.

After leaving school, I spent a year at Llysfasi Agricultural College, followed by a year studying a Beef and Sheep Management course at Reaseheath College, Nantwich. Following this, I worked on a JCB farm in Uttoxeter, before spending 18 months on farms in Australia and New Zealand, and returning home to shepherd on local farms as well as working at home.

I now farm in partnership with my father and brother Gethin. We farm Gaergoed and Tyn Pant, Llidiardau, Bala which extends to approximately 240 acres between them and rent a further 420 acres. We keep around 2,200 ewes which include Welsh, Texel and Mule cross. All lambs are sold in Ruthin or Welshpool marts. We have 25 suckler cows crossed with a Charolais bull, and all the calves are sold as stores, the majority supplying the local slaughterhouse in Corwen or selling through Mold mart.

by Angharad Evans, Welsh Language Communications Officer

A husband, father, neighbour, friend, farmer, poet...an introduction to Rob Tycam or officially known as Robert Edward Morris Jones.  

A whole community lost a very special person when Rob passed away, far too early, in 2018.  But he certainly left his mark on this world! Rob also left his mark on our family, a close friend, and best man at our wedding.

The loss of such a great character like Rob, left a massive gap in the lives of his wife Ann, his children Llyr, Gwenan and Ffion, and also on the many other lives that he touched. A whole community has the greatest of respect for the family for the way they have gone about remembering Rob and helping others in the process.

Rob Tycam was one of the contemporary poets of his native rural area, Mynydd Bach, which stands above Trefenter in Ceredigion. He left school at the age of 14 and was a farmer by profession. And it was whilst going about his daily work on the farm that he found his inspiration and would start writing on any piece of paper he could find in his pocket! In memory of Rob, the family decided to publish his work, and recently Cornel Clecs had the opportunity to ask Ann more about the book, and the family’s amazement at how much support it’s received:

“Rob would compose poetry and write regularly throughout the year. The themes chosen would depend on which Eisteddfod literary competitions would arrive at the house, or if a wedding or special birthday was happening.

Nearly 1000 viewers tuned in to a chat between two world-class extreme sports personalities at a special virtual event organised recently by volunteer led healthy minds organisation in rural Wales.

The World's Best Machine Shearer, Richard Jones of Glyndyfrdwy and extreme endurance runner and TV presenter, Lowri Morgan shared their experiences with a virtual audience at the hands of experienced broadcaster and host, Nic Parry at the Rhug Estate, recently.

Nerth Dy Ben*, a volunteer-run organisation that aims to give individuals a platform to share positive experiences, in Welsh, organised the event to share the endurance, perseverance and mental strength individuals need to meet extreme physical challenges.

Shearer Richard Jones said: "If you enjoy what you do, nothing can beat that. I would never change my job. I have no interest whatsoever in machinery, but I do love working with animals.

“Some days, things go wrong. But it's important to forget about those things and move on to a new day. Working with animals, be rain or shine, you just have to keep going.”

by Osian Gwyn Jones, a hill farm’s son from Arenig, Y Bala, Gwynedd

Agriculture has always been a passion of mine, and I loved helping my father on the farm when I was younger. I grew up in Rhyd-y-Fen, Arenig, an upland farm that extends from 340m up to 700m where we keep Welsh Mountain sheep as well as Welsh Black cattle.

I received my primary school education at Ysgol Bro Tryweryn, Frongoch, before going on to secondary school at Ysgol y Berwyn, Bala. In the 6th form, I had the opportunity to do my A levels, as well as completing a BTEC in agriculture. Following Ysgol y Berwyn re-introducing an agricultural qualification, I was part of the second year to study it.

I am delighted to have taken this opportunity, as it laid the foundation of my agricultural education and we were able to visit the SIMA and SIA shows in Paris during the first year, and the McHale factory in County Mayo during the second year.

Following this, I decided that I wanted to study an agriculture course at Aberystwyth University. At university, I enjoyed all the work associated with agri-environment as it was very relevant to our type of farming at home and very current due to the increased public interest in the environmental footprint of their food. 

by Angharad Evans, Welsh Language Communications Officer

Aren't we lucky where we live? And more than that the ability to communicate with each other in Welsh?

Two women from Ceredigion have launched a new society for Welsh speakers working in the field of Communication, and both have close links with the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

Gwenan Davies is the daughter of Cwmcoedog, Mydroilyn, and the family have been members of the Union for many years. Cwmcoedog has now developed to offer state of the art cottages and glamping facilities.

Manon Wyn James lives in Tregaron and is the wife of Gwion James, Senior Insurance Executive at the Union’s office in Lampeter.

They both set up SYLW to create a community for communication experts to share ideas, make connections and develop careers in a completely Welsh environment.  The pandemic has enabled virtual communication conferences and attract members via a digital system.

Candidates for the RWAS Award for the Best Student of Agriculture at the Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University must have studied Agriculture or a programme with a significant component of Agriculture to Degree, Diploma or Certificate level and should have been born and bred in Wales.

This year’s Award for Student of the Year goes to Osian Gwyn Jones of Rhyd-Y-Fen, Arenig, Y Bala, Gwynedd.

Osian was brought up at Rhyd-y-Fen, Arenig, Y Bala, Gwynedd, a hill farm running between 340m a 689m and carrying 500 Welsh Mountain ewes and 18 Welsh Black cows. Osian will be the 4th generation of his family to farm there and the family have farmed in the area for several centuries.

Osian attended Ysgol Gynradd Bro Tryweryn and Ysgol Uwchradd y Berwyn before being accepted to study for a BSc (Hons) degree in Agriculture at Aberystwyth University in 2018. He graduated with a Class I degree this year, attaining outstandingly high marks throughout his studies.