RWAS Agri-Environment Award winners for 2008
A Pembrokeshire farmer whose working methods are focussed on environmental gains and the effect that changes in farming practices are having on various habitats and species of wildlife, has won the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society – Countryside Council of Wales – Wales YFC Agri-Environment Award (Farmer Category) for 2008.
Roger Mathias of Furzy Mount Farm, Camrose, Haverfordwest, was one of three shortlisted candidates for the award in which the judges looked for evidence of an economically successful farm enterprise managed to conserve and enhance its natural resources including practical work that contributes to the landscape, managing field boundaries and traditional farm buildings, safeguarding or creating new wildlife habitats or providing opportunities for visitors to enjoy the countryside.
Furzy Mount Farm is a commercial unit rearing dairy heifers and beef followers. Mr Mathias joined Tir Gofal in 2005 and since then a two acre corridor has been fenced off to encourage barn owls, and 2000 native trees planted. Marshy grassland has been created alongside a new pond and unsprayed spring cereals are grown for winter stubble.
A significant amount of monitoring has been carried out on the farm by RSPB volunteers on key bird species and the effect that four acres of wild bird cover has had on numbers. Research, financed by Mr Mathias himself, is looking specifically at the farm’s insect life, the potential of ground beetles as bio-control agents and the effect of chemical cattle wormers on dung beetles.
The Agri-Environment Award, which is sponsored by the National Grid, is given annually to entrants in three categories – Farmer, Young Farmer and Contractor/Supplier. Applicants in the Young Farmer category must be under 31 years of age on December 31 2008 and those in the Contractor category must be based in Wales and providing a service, or supplying materials, to support agri-environment work on farms in Wales.
Because of what they described as “an exceptionally good competition of the highest standard,” the judges said they found it difficult to differentiate between two of the candidates in the Young Farmer category. Consequently, they decided to award a joint first prize to Glyn Powell of Lower Farm, Llechfaen, Brecon, and Geraint Davies, of Fedwarian, Bala, Gwynedd.
Geraint Davies owns 150 hectares and rents a further 400 near Bala. Both holdings achieved full organic status in 2007 and are in various agri-environmental schemes. Much work has been carried out on protecting and enhancing farm boundaries with significant planting and fencing work. Apart from rebuilding stone walls and creating stream-side corridors, three sizeable pools have been created to benefit wildlife, provide drinking water for stock and control the flow of water draining from upland fields.
Glyn Powell has been running his family farm since completing a national Diploma in Agriculture at Pencoed College, Bridgend. The 83 hectare unit has been in the Tir Gofal scheme since 2004 and a considerable length of hedgerows has been restored and 4500 metres of stock fencing completed.
The judges said the farm was well run and the stock of a high standard and they were impressed by the entrant’s commitment to the industry. He had the energy not only to run his own farm but also to develop a contracting service to other farmers.
The award in the Contractor/Supplier category goes this year to Dafydd Wyn Jones of Tyn Drain, Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd. A former student at Coleg Glynllifon, he took over his father’s contracting business in 2006 when it employed three people. Two years later he employs eight full time and four part time staff.
The judges said they were impressed by the fact that Mr Jones had maintained contact with Coleg Glynllifon to provide employment to promising college leavers. He took great care to hone their skills to his own exacting specifications, a process which enabled him to maintain quality control over staff and motivate them.
Specific expertise had also been developed in rope work to control rhododendron, plant trees and carry out general maintenance in difficult areas. His work on the Merioneth Oak Woods Project was a wonderful example of how an important special area of conservation under the European Habitats Directive, is being restored.
In addition to running his contracting business Mr Jones took over the tenancy of a farm in Trawsfynydd alongside two other holdings and now runs a flock of 1500 sheep and a small herd of Welsh Black cattle.