Why Dan would be an effective mentor
Dan Jones is the tenant farmer and shepherd at Parc Farm on the Great Orme, North Wales - one of the UK’s most iconic and ecologically sensitive upland landscapes. Farming in partnership with the National Trust, Natural Resources Wales, and Plantlife Cymru, Dan manages over 900 acres of limestone grassland, balancing productive sheep farming with the protection of rare wildlife and habitats.
Raised on a small sheep farm on Anglesey and having studied agriculture at Aberystwyth University, Dan combines academic knowledge with hands-on practical farming experience. Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your grazing plan, understand how to integrate conservation into upland farming, or simply want to chat about managing a flock in a busy landscape full of tourists and rare plants, Dan will offer practical mentoring based on his significant experience and expertise. Expect to be inspired by a farmer and conservationist who is actually ‘walking the walk’.
Dan’s approach to farming is simple but effective: work with nature, not against it. His flock of Welsh Mountain sheep is carefully managed through conservation grazing, using traditional hefting knowledge alongside modern tools like GPS-guided virtual fencing (electric collars) to deliver targeted, sustainable grazing where it’s most needed. Dan is one of the first UK hill farmers to trial and implement this innovative technology in an upland conservation setting and is keen to share his practical experience in setting up and managing these systems.
As a 2024 Nuffield Farming Scholar, Dan travelled to 11 countries including Argentina, California, Borneo, Chile, Taiwan and Japan, studying how upland sheep farming can support biodiversity, climate resilience, and cultural heritage. He gathered first-hand insights from shepherds in Patagonia; fire-grazing outfits in California; and vineyard managers who use sheep to control weeds naturally. These experiences, combined with his life-long passion for sheep farming, give him a global perspective on sustainable land management that he applies daily on the Great Orme.
Current farm business
- Since 2016, Dan has been the tenant farmer and shepherd at the 900-acre National Trust-owned farm on the Great Orme in North Wales where he farms in partnership with the National Trust, Natural Resources Wales and Plantlife Cymru
- The sheep flock consists of 900 ewes - Lleyn, Welsh Mountain and Herdwick, all farmed within a traditional upland system.
Professional Fellowships & Scholarships
2024 – Nuffield Farming Scholarship
“The Future of Upland Sheep Farming: Finding the Balance – Production, Nature Conservation, and Climate Change”
2023 – Hybu Cig Cymru Scholarship
“Not All Meat is Created Equally”
2022 – Farming Connect Management Exchange Programme
“Using Grazing Animals for Conservation”
Education & Qualifications
- Post-Graduate Certificate - Livestock Nutrition, Livestock Production Science
- Nuffield Scholarship Project Extended Report, Nuffield Project Design – University of Wales, Aberystwyth (2024-25)
- B.Sc. Agriculture, Aberystwyth University (2000)
- Royal Certificate in Veterinary Science – University of Salford (1998–1999)
- British Wool Marketing Board – Bronze, Silver & Gold Shearing Award
- Mountain Leader Qualification – Mountain Training
- REC First Aid (Rescue Emergency Care) – Appointed person certificate
Top tips for business success
“By grazing the right stock, at the right time, in the right place, you improve the long-term health of your land, which means better pasture, healthier stock, and fewer costly inputs like supplementary feed or weed control.”
“Using virtual fencing collars gives you flexible grazing without the cost of endless fencing repairs. You can target grazing areas that improve pasture productivity or biodiversity—saving time, fuel, and labour.
“Better grazing control means better stock performance, and you reduce the risk of over- or under-grazing which can cost you in the long run.”