13 May 2024
The Smallholding and Countryside Festival at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, is back on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May 2024, where Farming Connect will be present to provide you with support and advice. Whether you are a seasoned grower, a curious newcomer, or simply looking to add a touch of nature to your life, this event is not to be missed.
Farming Connect will be at the Members Centre, offering support, guidance, and training to help you achieve your horticultural goals. The Farming Connect team will be happy to discuss the fully funded Horticulture programme, designed to help both established growers and those exploring new diversification opportunities. Don't miss Julie Robinson's demonstration on Sunday morning, where she'll be planting baskets and pots with delicious edible fruits (tomatoes and strawberries) and herbs.
Surrounding the Farming Connect stand will be a vibrant marketplace featuring a variety of exciting trade stands.
At West Wales Willows, you can discover more than 260 willow varieties, learn about the many uses of willow, and even participate in a workshop on weaving a small plant support. P&J Plants offers a fascinating exploration into the world of carnivorous plants, with a selection of Sarracenia, Venus Fly Traps, and more on display. The NPTC will introduce you to exciting opportunities in the field of horticulture. You can explore their course offerings and take-home beautiful plants grown by NPTC students.
Support local agriculture at the event. Alfie Dans Market Garden will have fresh, seasonal vegetables, Ty Madoc Cider Farm will share their knowledge of heritage herbs and apple trees, and Living Simply Lavender will offer therapeutic lavender products.
Beltane Blooms and Bloomorium will feature stunning dried flower arrangements and wreaths. They will even have demonstrations on how to make your own. Embrace the beauty of locally sourced British flowers at Welsh Flower Barrow and Flowers From the Farm. They will also explain their "mail order" flower option and showcase the art of hand tied bouquets.
Don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow horticulture enthusiasts, learn from experts, and discover a world of floral and agricultural delights.
For any enquiries relating to skills and training, staff and training providers will be present at the Lantra building offering guidance and support on how to complete the Personal
Development Plan (PDP), e-learning modules and accredited training options. Staff will also be showcasing the Storfa Sgiliau recording system that stores all of your Farming Connect completed activity automatically for you.
Over the two days the following providers will be on hand to discuss any training relating enquiries:
- Advanced Training
- IBERS
- Jimmy Hughes Training Ltd
- Neath Port Talbot College
- Phoenix Training
- Simply the Best Training
- Training for the Future
There will also be a number of live demonstrations outside the Lantra building over the two days on planting seasonal vegetables and how to cook them.
For further information, please visit the Farming Connect website www.gov.wales/farmingconnect or contact your Local Development Officer.
Smallholding & Countryside Festival - Farming Connect exhibitors include:
West Wales Willows
● West Wales Willows will be showcasing some of their range of 260 varieties of Salix (Willows)
● Talking about its uses and providing a demonstration of how to weave a small plant support
● A great place to learn, and possibly buy some potted willows or baskets
● Offers a wide range of willow weaving workshops from their base in Carmarthenshire
● Offers online supplies of living cuttings and rods to grow your own willow for basket weaving, short rotation coppicing as fuel for your woodburner, early nectar for bees, ornamental uses and living structures such as arches, domes and tunnels.
P&J Plants
● Come and see the wonderful P&J Plants for lots of practical knowledge when it comes to Carnivorous plants
● Offering a selection of Sarracena, Venus Fly Traps, Sundews and Butterworts
● Find mature, potted, and labelled plants
NPTC
● If you are a prospective student or an have an interest in horticulture, come and learn about the exciting developments in the Horticulture Department across Neath, Brecon & Newtown colleges
● Learn about opportunities in horticultural careers
● See what horticulture courses are available through NPTC covering commercial production of fruit, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants & there is a focus on the design, establishment, and maintenance of our parks, gardens, sports grounds, and managed landscapes
● Selling plants all grown by NPTC students
Alfie Dans Market Garden
● A market garden growing vegetables and fruit, from our field to your fork.
● Promoting seasonal and locally produced veg (Brecon area) grown under organic principles
● Promoting veg box service and what they have to offer, including fresh veg to buy over the weekend
Ty Madoc Cider Farm
● Producing traditional cider and perry in their heritage orchards just outside of Brecon but looking to focus on heritage herbs
● Sharing information about native herbs and how to cook with them – Also selling them
● How to look after apple trees and selling apple tree cuttings
Living Simply Lavender
● Living Simply Lavender is a micro business distilling therapeutic Lavender hydrosol products on-site in West Wales.
● Applying decades of family knowledge of Lavender botanicals to bring high-quality products to customers
● Selling a variety of lavender based products
● Explaining how to grow and care for lavender
Beltane Blooms
● Selling dried flowers arrangements, dried flower wreaths and wreath making kits
● Flowers have all been dried by Ruth at Beltane Blooms
● Will be putting on dried wreath demonstrations.
Bloomorium
● Bloomorium will be showcasing a variety of displays using a mixture of locally sourced flowers giving you the chance to buy some beautiful bouquets.
● Houseplants, pots and giftware will also be on available to buy.
Welsh Flower Barrow
● British grown flowers from the Welsh Hills
● Selling a wide range of seasonal fresh cut Welsh flowers, coloured willow for crafting and willow wreaths.
● The staff will promote new “mail order” flowers
● Demonstration of hand tied bouquets.
Flowers From the Farm
● Display made up of seasonal British flowers, giving you the chance to buy some beautiful bouquets.
● Learn about what Flowers From The Farm is, and what they aim to do across Wales, and further afield.
Farming Connect
Presence of Farming Connect staff will be in the building providing information to members of the public.