George Sturla
Holywell, Flintshire
Selling lamb direct to consumers in meat boxes has helped George Sturla increase profit margin in his sheep business.
He launched the sales business in October 2022 and it now provides a reliable income, allowing him to invest in improving grass leys on the land he farms near Holywell and produce better quality forage, reducing his reliance on bought-in feed.
Although George didn’t grow up on a farm, his childhood summers were spent helping his grandfather on his farm in North Wales.
He later graduated from the Royal Agricultural College with a degree in Rural Land Management and worked at Strutt & Parker.
But in 2016 he decided to leave his career in land management to work full time in agriculture, slowly building up stock numbers to 140 breeding ewes and 12 suckler cows alongside a full time job as a sales representative for AB Agri.
Through his meat box business, George has enjoyed connecting with consumers, using social media to educate people about Welsh farming practices and food sustainability.
In future he hopes to add beef boxes to the product range and offer educational farm tours to schools and customers.
He sees now as an exciting time for Welsh agriculture with consumers keen to learn more about the origins of their food.
George says he is proud to be part of the Welsh agricultural community and through his involvement in Farming Connect Business & Innovation Programme he is looking forward to meeting others who share that passion.