In episode 50, we meet the well-known farmer, writer and podcaster; Will Penri Evans. Will farms with his wife and four daughters at Lower Eyton Farm near Wrexham. He’s become a high-profile figure within UK agriculture through hosting the Rock & Roll Farming Podcast and becoming a regular columnist with the Farmers Weekly. He talks about his farming journey, the remarkable reach and impact of his podcast and how ability, not gender, is everything when it comes to farming.

Ear to the Ground / Clust i'r Ddaear

#50 – Farming with Will ‘Rock & Roll’ Evans

With the growing interest in pick your own (PYO) pumpkin enterprises as a diversification opportunity for farmers, Farming Connect recently hosted an on-farm event at Aberbran Fawr near Brecon to discuss the key points to consider. In this episode, we hear from Chris Creed, a horticultural consultant with ADAS, and Andy Matthews, the farmer at Aberbran Fawr, about the practicalities of establishing the crop through to harvesting, marketing and selling.

#49 – How to establish a PYO pumpkin enterprise on your farm

In this episode, we meet Sam Carey who is in the process of establishing a new dairy farm in Machynlleth using the principles of regenerative farming. We’re also joined by one of our regular contributors on the podcast, Rhys Williams of Precision Grazing.

#48 - The Road to Regen

Situated in the beautiful rolling countryside of Monmouthshire near the village of Llanvetherine lies White Castle Vineyard – the home of Robb and Nicola Merchant. Having diversified some 12 years ago, they have turned their dream into a thriving business. They are now producing some of the finest wine in the world having recently been awarded a Gold Medal in the Decanter World Wine Awards – the first Welsh wine to do so! In this episode, Robb tells us how it all started and how others can get involved in the growing Welsh wine industry.

#47 - Producing world-class wine in Wales

In this episode, we meet Tom Evans who farms with his wife Beth and children at Pendre Farm near Aberystwyth. Tom is a keen stockman and believes firmly that “if you look after the stock, the stock will look after you”. Tune in to hear more about his farming philosophy and the projects he has undertaken as a Farming Connect demonstration site.

#46 - If you look after the stock, the stock will look after you

Yn y bennod hon, rydyn ni'n cwrdd â Huw Jones sy'n ffermio gyda'i wraig Meinir ar Fferm Bryn ger Aberteifi. Gyda'i gilydd maent yn rhedeg buches sugno, yn tyfu haidd, ceirch a gwenith ochr yn ochr â'u prosiectau arallgyfeirio sy'n cynnwys busnes cynhyrchu gwair a gwellt i anifeiliaid anwes a bythynnod gwyliau. Fel safle arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio, mae Fferm Bryn hefyd yn cymryd rhan mewn nifer o brosiectau sy'n edrych ar ffyrdd o wella perfformiad y fuches ac i sicrhau'r budd mwyaf o bori cylchdro.

#45 – Fferm Bryn – busnes gwledig amrywiol gyda ffermio yn ganolog iddo

In this episode, we meet Huw Jones who farms with his wife Meinir at Bryn Farm near Cardigan. Together they run a suckler beef enterprise, grow barley, oats and wheat alongside their diversification projects which includes an animal bedding business servicing the pet industry and holiday lets. As a Farming Connect demonstration site, Bryn Farm is also involved in a number of projects looking at ways to improve the performance of the beef herd and to maximise the benefits of rotational grazing.

#45 – Bryn Farm – a diverse rural business with farming at its core

This week Jim follows the business and innovation agri academy 2020's first in person meeting on Rhidian and Elen Glyn's farm Rhiwgriafol near Machynlleth. The afternoon was then hosted by Heledd and Phil Dancer down the road in Tanyffordd, Cemaes. We hear from both Rhidian and Heledd about their journey in to farming.  

#44 - First generation farming and Agri Academy 2020

This week the team have been back recording on location and have visited Mountjoy Farm near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire; one of Farming Connect’s demonstration sites. Mountjoy is a dairy farm run by second generation farmer William Hannah and his family. William’s objective is to build an “enjoyable and profitable business” and, in this episode, he talks about some of the projects that he’s been involved with as a demonstration site including methods of introducing superior genetics into the dairy herd and ways of reducing the use of nitrogen fertiliser inputs.

#43 - Building an enjoyable and profitable business at Mountjoy Farm, Pembrokeshire

With this April being one of the driest and coldest on record, grass yields on average are only half of what they would be normally on farms across Wales. In this podcast, we discuss how farmers are coping with the changing climate and ways of mitigating forage deficits with Helen Mathieu, Area Sales Manger for Germinal GB.

#42 – Managing grass growth in a changing climate

Yn 2016, gadawodd Nia Jones a’i gŵr Marc Gymru i ddilyn eu breuddwyd o redeg fferm laeth yn Seland Newydd. Dair blynedd yn ddiweddarach, fe ddaethon nhw'n ail yng nghystadleuaeth genedlaethol Ffermwr Cyfran y Flwyddyn yn Seland Newydd. Tipyn o gamp! Yn y bennod hon, mae Nia yn rhannu'r stori tu ôl i'w llwyddiant ac yn datgelu'r cam nesaf yn eu taith wrth iddynt barhau i ddringo'r ysgol ffermio.

#41 - Pâr o Gymru yn dringo ysgol ffermio Seland Newydd

As a part of a three-year European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Wales project, trials have been undertaken on four farms in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion to see if foliar feed (liquid fertiliser) is more effective than conventional compound fertiliser. In this episode, we meet the consultant Nigel Howells who has been leading the research project and one of the trial farmers - Mike Smith of Pelcomb Farm near Haverfordwest.  

#40 – Is liquid fertiliser more effective than compound fertiliser?

Ear to the Ground’ is a brand-new podcast, the first of its kind to be available in both Welsh and English, that will share technical information, advice, support and inspiration to the farming community in Wales. Mae “Clust i’r Ddaear” yn bodlediad newydd sbon, y cyntaf o’i math i fod ar gael yn Gymraeg a Saesneg, fydd yn rhannu gwybodaeth dechnegol, cyngor, cefnogaeth ac ysbrydoliaeth i’r gymuned amaeth yng Nghymru.

hubhopper

Ear to the Ground / Clust i'r Ddaear

hubhopper