Why Llŷr would be an effective mentor
- Llŷr is a progressive farmer and businessman who is passionate about ensuring the future of the Welsh agricultutural industry for many generations to come. He has a diverse farming portfolio, which includes beef, lamb and poultry, but has diversified into other areas, including rapeseed oil.
- Committed to bringing the latest technologies to the industry, Llŷr has made a significant switch to hydro, solar power and ground-/air-source heating, making his business 100% renewable.
- He installed one of the first inbuilt hen muck dryers in the UK, reducing ammonia by 25% and spreading 50 tractor loads fewer every year, because the muck has less water. He also runs a fully electric Polaris Mule. Similar to a quad bike, it was one of the first in the UK.
- Llŷr describes himself as entrepreneurial, driven and adaptable. His strong project-management skills and progressive thinking have enabled him to set up and run a range of successful businesses, which include beef, sheep, poultry, tourism, and rapeseed oil, and he’s heavily involved with sustainable systems and renewables.
- Llŷr also finds time for charitable work. In 2006, after the Tsunami, he went to Sri Lanka with a group of local volunteers to build schools and orphanages. He then formed a charity called Cam wrth Gam (Step by step), and has since taken groups of more than 40 volunteers to Africa six times. The charity has raised £38,000, which is helping educate 400 children a year in four schools the charity built. In addition, 1,000 people have access to a borehole (which Llŷr drove to the Gambia in an old donated Ford transit truck) and new rainwater harvesting system. More recently, he’s been making trips to Ukraine to deliver medical supplies.
- In demand as a public speaker for a wide range of agri-related organisations, you’ll find Llŷr a good listener and a confident bilingual communicator who will offer impartial views on any ideas you may have about his specialist topics. He has a wealth of experience across many areas of business and farming, as well as his numerous diversification ventures – expect to be inspired and encouraged to ‘think outside the box’!
Current farm business
- 1,600 acres (across three units – mountain/upland/lowland)
- Flock of 1,000 Welsh ewes and mules
- In 2021, Llŷr became partner in a joint venture rearing 250 beef calves sold as stores
- 32,000 free range poultry unit, eggs all sold to Tesco
- Llŷr has installed a hydro-electric system which runs all his businesses. This includes a 60kw ground source heat pump and two ai-source heat pumps which heat the egg unit, farmhouse and holiday cottage.
- Holiday cottage let through Airbnb and a wild campsite tourism enterprise
- Set up in 2010 and co-owned by Llŷr and two farming friends, Blodyn Aur (Golden Flower) is the only Welsh rapeseed oil – grown, cold-pressed and bottled in Wales – 6,000 bottles sold monthly
Qualifications/achievements/ experience
- 2013 Agri Academy Business and Innovation programme (appointed leader of the programme from 2019 to date)
- 2015 Tesco Future Farmers Foundation
- 2016 Principality and NFU Community Champion Award
- 2018 Tesco Agricultural Supplier of the Year
- 2019 True Taste Award for Blodyn Aur Honey and Mustard Dressing.
- 2022 NFU national Meurig Raymond award
- 2022 Dafydd Jones award
Top tips for business success
“If I think about something, I do it. Once you’ve done your research, give it a go, because you don’t want to look back in a few years full of regret thinking ‘what if?”.
“Failure is when you don’t even try something, not when you don’t succeed – because we all learn from mistakes.”
“Have the courage to take that first step, make that first investment!”