Why David would be an effective mentor
- David has farmed in the Teifi valley for 25 years. His farming career includes retailing milk, on farm sales, intensive pig production and more recently organic dairy farming.
- Having started out on a county council smallholding, David has also farmed overseas including Minnesota, Florida and California in America where he worked on beef suckler cows, pig breeding and mixed cropping farms. Those mixed cropping farms included wheat, soya beans, maize, sweet corn, rice and sugar beet farms. He also worked on two farms in Holland milking cows for cheese production and also intensive pig farming.
- In 2018, David joined the Farming Connect Venture programme and was paired up with a young entrant into farming. They have now been farming in partnership for 9 months, running a profitable business milking 110 cows daily. David also kept a flock of 80 Lleyn ewes, together with his late wife. He also has experience of free range egg production and roadside sales.
- David can offer guidance to new entrants into farming, using his varied personal experience to help those starting out in the industry.
- David now works in mental health support within the farming and wider community therefore understands the effects it can have on farmers and their families.
Current farm business
- 160 acre organic dairy farm which is rented out
- 110 milkers, 80 dairy heifers and 30 beef stores/suckler calves
Qualifications/ achievements/ experience
- 1978 – 1980: OND in Agriculture, Walford College Shropshire
- 1978 – 1980: National Certificate in Farm Business Management, Walford College Shropshire
- 1980 – 1981: Dairy Production and AI, University of Minnesota, USA
TOP TIPS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS
“Research on the internet and visit other farms.”
“Seek advice from experienced people.”
“Show determination, but be ‘malleable’ and adaptable!”