26 November 2018
Winners of Lantra’s Land-based Learner of the Year Awards 2018 (Farming Connect categories) announced by Cabinet Secretary at the Winter Fair
This year’s joint winners are Linda Edwards who farms near Bettisfield, on the Welsh border, and Bryony Gittins, who farms near Abergavenny. Both are passionate about lifelong learning which they agree is an essential component if you want to develop a sustainable, profitable farm business!
The two worthy winners of this year’s prestigious Lantra Land-based Learner of the Year Awards (Farming Connect categories) were presented with their winner’s certificates by Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, at a special ceremony held today (Monday, 26 November) at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Llanelwedd. This is the 25th anniversary of the awards.
The winner of Lantra’s Farming Connect award, mid Wales farmer Linda Edwards, has for the last 20 years helped her husband run a dairy enterprise near Bettisfield, Whitchurch.
Linda says that as dairy farmers, she and her family have faced many challenges and obstacles in recent years but her determination to safeguard the business led her to continuous professional development. She credits Farming Connect’s subsidised business improvement training for giving her the confidence and skills to take forward her plans for developing and growing the business. Having studied business planning, marketing and financial management through Farming Connect, she is now using her new skillset to help develop an on-farm diversification enterprise which includes both a caravan and camping site and new rural conference centre.
Zoology graduate and former outdoor pursuits instructor Bryony Gittins, who returned to the family farm near Abergavenny after many years working away from the industry, won Lantra’s Farming Connect ‘Under 40’ award. Bryony completed Farming Connect’s online personal development plan (PDP) last year. Since then she has taken every opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of how to manage and develop the family farm which she hopes to eventually take over from her parents.
Constantly on the lookout for training to boost her skillset, Bryony has undertaken numerous practical training options including farm safety, alongside business management and financial courses. She is also a keen advocate of Farming Connect’s fully-funded interactive e-learning modules, saying that the facility to acquire new skills from her laptop at a time which suits her has been invaluable.
The Cabinet Secretary congratulated all the Lantra winners and nominees on their outstanding achievements, saying she was particularly encouraged that many farmers and foresters now consider increasing their business management and financial skills as important as gaining new technical and practical skills.
“These individuals are doing so much to drive our industry forward, helping to modernise and professionalise it as we collectively prepare ourselves and our businesses for the challenges and opportunities of a future outside the EU.
“This bodes well for the future viability and resilience of Welsh farm businesses. Lifelong learning must become the norm within the agriculture industry if the businesses within that industry are to become more stable, more resilient and prosperous,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
Both Linda and Bryony juggle the demands of day to day farming activities with family life, but agree that improving their skillset through subsidised training available through Farming Connect has transformed the way in which they tackle both practical tasks and the challenging volume of paperwork which goes hand in hand with running a successful farm business.
Both women were nominated for the awards by Julie Thomas, director of Simply the Best Training Consultancy, an approved Farming Connect training provider which delivered their business and technical training.
Runner up for the Farming Connect award was Gwilym Jones of Fferm Llwynbedw, Cwmgiedd, Ystradgynlais nominated by Simply the Best Training Consultancy.
Runner up for the Farming Connect ‘Under 40’ award was Eirios Jones of Garthlwyd, Harford, Llanwrda nominated by Coleg Sir Gar.