Alan Gardner

Alan Gardner

Name: Alan Gardner  

Email: alan.gardner@agrisgop.cymru 

Mobile: 07712 458358

Location:  Flintshire/Operates pan-Wales

Specialism(s):   Share farming, Joint ventures, Diversification, Leadership  

  • Alan was brought up on an upland farm near Newtown.  Following college, marriage and a brief stint farming near Welshpool, he entered into a share farming agreement near Mold which evolved from an initial 150 acres to a 300-acre farm business tenancy (FBT). The business revolved around a flock of 1,100 ewes producing lambs for meat. Since the FBT ended in 2016 he has diversified into a range of rural business interests including storage, firewood processing and retailing. 
  • Alan is very active within Wales’ agricultural community both at a national and local level, holding a number of appointments throughout his career with some of the industry’s leading stakeholder organisations. A
  •  keen advocate of working collaboratively, Alan established the Farming Connect-supported Famu Discussion group many years ago, bringing together farmers from the locality to discuss a wide range of topics.  “The power of group members working together towards common goals, achieving them and then setting the bar even higher is both transformative and rewarding for all involved!” 
  • In 2015 Alan was awarded a Hybu Cig Cymru Scholarship.  He used his time in New Zealand to assess business focus groups, focusing on the use of government data collection and the way in which such information benefits beef and sheep farmers through detailed cost of production analysis and benchmarking – all topics he hopes to utilise through his role as an Agrisgôp leader. 
  • Alan has extensive knowledge of working with and leading groups through his various public roles.  An experienced chairperson, used to listening and giving people the opportunity to voice their hopes and concerns within a supportive Agrisgôp group environment, he is now looking forward to sharing his significant knowledge of corporate governance, change management, personal development and innovative land management applications with his own group members.  

Current businesses

  • Storage units, caravan storage, firewood retailing and processing
  • Small-scale farming

Relevant experience/skills/qualifications

  • University Postgraduate Certificate in Change Leadership, Aberystwyth University 2021
  • Studied agriculture at Montgomeryshire College of Further Education while working on the family farm 1980-82
  • Current board member and elected director of FUW Ltd, following a number of previously held posts 
  • Former county chairman of Montgomeryshire YFC and remains closely involved Established the Famu Discussion Group around 2005  
  • Formerly a board member and director of Hybu Cig Cymru  
  • Board member, Food Standards Agency for Wales 2006 and recently completed a two-term appointment as a member of the Welsh Food Advisory Committee.