Sophie Hughes

Sontley, Wrexham

After graduating with a degree in Agriculture with Animal Science from Harper Adams University, Sophie Hughes spent five years working in a range of roles with a major meat wholesale company. She has now returned to her family’s 200-acre dairy and sheep farm near Wrexham, determined to help them improve its efficiency and long-term sustainability.

Sophie manages 100 dairy cows and is actively involved in milking, feeding, AI, foot trimming and heifer rearing. Alongside this, she runs her own flock of 200 commercial breeding ewes and takes responsibility for all the farm’s paperwork.

Her immediate goals include increasing milk yield from forage and reducing the calving interval to boost herd productivity and business profitability. With several coarse fishing pools on the farm, Sophie also hopes to consider a glamping pod diversification project to further appeal to visitors and enhance the farm's income.

Outside farming, Sophie enjoys playing netball for a local team, keeping fit at the gym, and competing in ladies’ tug of war through the YFC. Passionate about the future of Welsh farming, she is eager to broaden her network and embrace innovation.

“The Agri Academy is an excellent opportunity to further develop myself and the family business, and I am looking forward to meeting industry experts and like-minded individuals who will encourage me to put my ideas into action.”