Rhys Williams
Name
Rhys Williams
Location
North Wales
Key Specialism
Grassland Management
Regenerative Agriculture
Business Planning, Development and Management
Joint Ventures
Collaboration, Communication and Succession Planning
Sector
Livestock
Why are you an effective Advisor?
As a first language Welsh speaker, brought up and raising a young family in a rural community, Rhys understands the needs and requirements of Welsh farmers and can communicate and relate in a friendly and constructive manner.
His education, previous employment, four years of practising as a farm business consultant, continual professional development, and current personal involvement in two farming businesses gives him the required, relevant, and current skills, knowledge, and experience to provide quality advice, guidance and training in the identified topic areas.
He runs a 60ha dry stock family farm on the Llyn Peninsula in partnership with his father. They rear 900+ ewe lambs and 200+ contract reared dairy heifers on a low input rotational grazing system. This business provides him with continual professional development in grass measuring and budgeting, the use of grazing infrastructure, soil health assessment and managing large groups of livestock.
In 2016, Rhys used the Farming Connect Venture support to establish a sheep joint farming venture in Abergele in partnership with the landowner and a young shepherd. They run a farm with 2000 breeding ewes plus replacements and 120 contract reared dairy heifers on a low input, grass-based system. The joint venture provides the shepherd with the opportunity to grow experience and equity to enable progression up the farming ladder.
Managing and administering two different livestock farming businesses that are financially and environmentally sustainable and provide opportunity for people to thrive puts Rhys in a strong position to guide farmers to meet the forthcoming challenges facing Welsh agriculture.
Qualifications/Achievements/Experience
- BSc Agriculture
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- Agriculture Lecturer
- Further Education College Manager
- Partner in family livestock farming business
- Director of livestock share farming company
- Co-founder and facilitator of DaByw sustainable livestock farming conference
- Farm Business Consultant
Top Tip/Quote
“Seeking advice and guidance and collaborating is essential to enable farming businesses to embrace change, develop innovation and meet their personal and business goals”.