Hannah Wright

SOUTH WALES VALLEYS & VALE OF GLAMORGAN

Hannah Wright is the Farming Connect development officer for the South Wales region, which includes Gower, the south-east valleys and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Armed with a first-class Hons BSc in agriculture from Coleg Sir Gâr, Hannah, whose previous work experience included working on large-scale farms in New Zealand and Scotland, combines her role with Farming Connect with the practical side of farming. In recent years, she has taken over the running of a small family holding in Gower. She plans to expand the size of the flock of pure Lleyn sheep, developing their health status. 

“My role with Farming Connect is to signpost farmers to a wide range of business, technical and personal development services, and I find it very rewarding when you see businesses benefit from our support.  

“Services such as the Advisory Service, training and one-to-one mentoring can have a massive impact, and I’m also helping many farmers who are determined to address their environmental impact and reduce their carbon footprint.

“By tapping into our resources, they are able to implement more efficient ways of working, which enables them to calculate their carbon footprint and take steps to ensure they farm sustainably, and are part of the solution to the challenges of climate change.  

“I also advise many businesses to get involved with our Prosper to Pasture project, which helps improve grazing systems and reduce the costs of bought-in fertilisers and concentrates, which in turn increases outputs and leads to better livestock performance. 

“Although my geographic operational area is large, with the focus mainly on beef and sheep farming, this is also a region which attracts numerous tourism and other rural enterprises, which makes life interesting! 

“Tapping into the services you need (with most either fully-funded or heavily subsidised) can help your business become more profitable, resilient and sustainable in this economically challenging climate.”

Hannah also manages topic-led discussion groups in her area, working closely with local vets and business advisers to improve performance and outcomes for group members.