Wales Farmer March 2013 NEWS


Swapping city lifefor aday on the farm


TWENTY young pupils from the London Welsh School enjoyed avisit to acity farm in the south- east of the UK’s capital, thanks to the Farmers’


Union of Wales (FUW). The 90-acreWoodlands


Farm,onthe borders of Greenwich and Bexley,isthe largest city farminEurope. “It wasapleasuretovisit the


farmtosee howthings arerun on acity farmand showthe chil- dren howitismanaged as well as introducing them to alittle bit of countryside,” saidFUWpres-


ident Emyr Jones,who joined the children on the visit with deputy president Glyn Roberts. Savedfromroad and housing


developments by local cam- paigners in the 1980s and 90s, the Woodlands Farm Trust (WFT) wasestablished in 1997 to safeguardthe farmand its


unique environment. FUW member and WFT


project manager David Jones, originallyfromLlanrhystud, Ceredigion, wasdelighted to see the children learn about farming practices and the animals on farm. Mr Jones said:“With so many


diverse habitats on the farm thereismuch to learn and explore, from the farmyardto the ponds,woodland and hay meadows.


MAKING AFEATHERED FRIEND: Pupils from the London Welsh School make friends with ahappy hen.


“It waswonderful to have the


children from the London Welsh School at the farm. They took a greatinterest during the whole visit and indeed showedagood knowledge of farming.” Activities on the farminclude


traditional hedgerow manage- ment and making hayfromthe meadows,with conservation grazing using rare and minority breed cattle and sheep such as Irish Moiled and British White cattle and Lleyn, Dorset Down and Herdwick sheep. London Welsh School head


teacher Julie Sullivan, who accompanied the children on their visit, said: “Welsh heritage and cultureisanimportant part of the London Welsh School curriculum and manychildren have farming links back home in Wales.Farming and the coun- tryside is embedded in our Welsh heritage and is not forgot- ten just because we areliving in London.” The farmisamajor commu-


nity and educational resource, hosting visit from 3,000 school- children every year.


FEEDING TIME: (far left) London Welsh School pupils feeding sheep on Woodlands City farm and (left) ayoungster smells some hay made on the farm.


‘Be patientand financial sector will improve,’ farmersassured


DESPITE the UK’sfinancial position being under attack since 2007 and ‘no single policy that can fixthe mess,things will get better’, afinancial expert has reassured farmers. Speaking at the annual Brecon


and Radnor NFU Cymru County Conference in Builth Wells,Sir Andrew Large,afor- mer Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, compared the twoworlds of finance and farm- ing and their contribution to the economy. He said: “Both sectors have to


cope with the burden of regula- tion, competition and technolog- ical developments. “However,confidence in the


futureisvital forthe well-being of anybank or farm–thatis what’s needed forlending to grow and investments to be made.”


Members questioned how


banks would provide financial support in the futureand how long lowinterest rates were likely to continue. Sir Andrew Large added: “It is


moreimportant nowthan ever, forbanks to lend in the right areas.Bankers,likefarmers,have to be willing to invest capital, in areas thatwill bring agenuine return. But youhavetobe patient in rebuilding confidence


MONEY TALKS: Sir Andrew Large and Glasnant Morgan at the Brecon and Radnor NFU Cymru annual county conference in Builth Wells.


after such amajor collapse.This takes time and the scale of losses is something thatpeople will not forget.” As an area with such ahigh


density of livestock, sheep pro- ducers in Brecon andRadnor


have been especiallyhit by the recent collapse in lamb prices. Glasnant Morgan, NFU


Cymru Brecon and Radnor county chairman, said: “Farmers arenow seeingamajor downturn in lamb price which Ifear will


drive confidence out of the industry.Isincerelyhope thatthe retailers and the general public showsupport forour product and continue to buyWelsh lamb to help us through this difficult time.”


For the latest Wales farming news: walesfarmer.co.uk


New FUW officer for Montgomery


THE Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has appointed anew area officer


in Tony south


Montgomeryshire. Nia WynEvans succeeds Montgomery-based


Williams,who recentlyretired from the post after26years’ serv- ice.


Mrs Evans,who has previously


worked forthe FUW as an area officer in Meirionnyddand as the union’s welfareofficer,said: “I feel very privileged to have been appointed as an area officer for south Montgomeryshireand can’t wait to meet the FUW members and insurance clients in my new area.” Together with her husband


Dylan, she runs a25-acresmall- holding with 120 Beltexewesand 12 chickens on the Mawddach estuary. Having also worked as an edu-


cational business careers adviser forCareers Wales and as aYFC organiser forMeirionnydd, she looks forwardtousing her previ- ous knowledge and experience to develop her insurance portfolio in south Montgomeryshire. FUW business development


director Emyr James wished Nia every success in her role. “Weare delighted to welcome


Nia back to the fold and arequite surethatshe will maintain the


25


NEW ROLE: Nia Wyn Evans, the new FUW area officer for South Montgomeryshire.


high levelofservice forour mem- bers in Montgomeryshire,”he added. Mrs Evans will be based in the


FUW county office in Newtown and will be present at Welshpool livestock marketonMondays to deal with and address anyissues or customer insurance needs.


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