Aim high, do your research and try and identify a gap in the market, is the advice from one farming family from Pwllheli who have done just that!
Third generation farmer Alan Jones, wife Bethan and two sons Osian and Morgan farm a 230 acre holding in Chwilog. The family recently set up a secondary enterprise producing ewes’ milk for artisan Welsh cheeses from their mixed flock of 20 Friesland and 8 Lleyn ewes milking and say they may not have taken that leap into the unknown without support from Farming Connect.
Earlier this year Alan and Osian joined a local Farming Connect Agrisgôp group led by Geraint Hughes. Agrisgôp is an action management learning programme which supports like-minded individuals to develop ideas for new business ideas or ventures. Farming Connect, which is delivered by Menter a Busnes, is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Geraint was aware that a number of local sheep producers in his area were already investigating ways of adding value to their sheep enterprises at what is for many farmers an economically challenging and uncertain time.
“Within the facilitated closed environment of an Agrisgôp group, like-minded farmers value the opportunity to talk to each other openly, to work through challenges and issues and to build up trust with other farmers through developing both working relationships and personal friendships,” said Geraint.
For Alan and Osian, joining Geraint’s group provided support and guidance from other sheep producers and was key to giving them the confidence to further research the market and diversify into the production of sheep milk. Their study visit to the renowned Anglesey Sea Salt company Halen Môn, taught them the importance of adding value to a core product and of brand building.
Alan recalls those early days when the farmers first met up for their monthly meetings.
“Although some of us were initially reluctant to share ideas and trust each other, we soon learned how much knowledge we had within the group, and it was clear we could support and learn from each other without limiting our individual chances of success.
“Working within an Agrisgôp group gives you the courage to take those difficult and challenging first steps you need to set up a new enterprise, at a time when many farmers would feel isolated and exposed to risk, said Alan.
One of the group members was the award-winning cheese maker Carrie Rimes who set up her own sheep dairy in Bethesda two years ago and another was local farm vet Eilidh Hawkins, whose particular interest and expertise in sheep made her an invaluable member.
Carrie learned her trade in the ‘fromageries’ of France before she returned home to North Wales to start implementing her ambitious plans for a new cheese dairy using only sheep milk. This Welsh-speaking farmer’s daughter who originally hails from Devon, says that with the price of cow’s milk still relatively low, Alan quickly showed interest in switching to a product which can sell for two to three times as much as cows’ milk.
“I am already working with a Lancashire sheep milk producer but I was also keen to source Welsh sheep milk.
“There is now a rapidly increasing demand for sheep’s milk, not only in Wales but throughout the UK. I am optimistic that this will encourage new processors to get involved, which will in turn result in new markets for both pasteurised and unpasteurised cheese as well as yoghurt, ice-cream and butter, said Carrie.
Alan and Osian have built their own small-scale single-sided herringbone milking parlour but this may need to increase as they plan to double the size of the flock next year.
“If there is sufficient demand, we are aiming towards a flock of 400 - 500 pedigree Lleyn sheep by 2020,” said Alan.
Lleyn sheep have a lower milk yield than many others but its ratio of 6% butterfat to 5% protein gives it a richness which enhances the taste of the cheese.
“We work hard to ensure all our sheep’s milk is of a consistently high standard for unpasteurised production and we hope that as the enterprise develops, we can work with different supply chain partners in a planned and steady programme of growth,” said Alan.