Why Andy would be an effective mentor
- Andy has had 40 years of practical experience of livestock and arable farming, which he is now applying to develop his goat enterprise.
- A keen advocate of benchmarking, he regularly monitors the performance of his stock and plans. Through his involvement with an Agrisgôp Welsh Boer Goat Group, he applied for funding for a new EIP project which will enable the group to improve goat performance and reduce health costs.
- Andy believes his previous role as an agricultural salesman and manager has been a good background for his mentoring role, saying that it’s important to listen and identify what’s required before offering guidance or solutions.
- Andy’s involvement through his current and previous roles with wholesalers and retailers has given him a background of business to business sales.
Current farm business
- 35 breeding goats plus followers
- 10 acre holding owned for 20 years
- Historically produced own meat and vegetables as well as selling fatstock and fleeces
- Utilises EID to monitor daily liveweight gains and track animal performance throughout its life which has had significant benefits on the business
- Working with Cywain and Food Centre Wales to add value to goat meat
Qualifications/achievements/experience
- National Diploma in Agriculture
- Recently trained in Mental Health First Aid
- Roles within dairy sector and grassland contracting
- Managing a specialist farm producing combed wheat reed for the thatching industry
- Various sales and managerial roles within the agriculture industry
Top tips for business success
“Always do your homework before you commit to a new venture or enterprise and think through every element of the field to plate process”
“Cost out time and resources – you may not have the local facilities you need to make the venture sustainable.”
“Always speak to other people working in the same field. Most will be happy to share their experiences, both good and bad, and you’ll learn a lot.”
“Success comes with attention to detail.”