Fourth-generation farmer Dylan Jones is clear that sustainability and productivity do not have to be in conflict. At Castellior, his beef enterprise on Anglesey, Dylan has proved that intensive stocking within a sustainable system can dramatically increase output while cutting emissions.
“Before seeking technical support from Farming Connect, I was finishing 330kg of beef and lamb carcase weight per acre but nowhere close to hitting any environmental goals,” Dylan explains.
“Today, I am finishing 680kg of beef carcase weight per acre and net zero is no longer just a faraway ambition.”
Over the past decade, Dylan and his dad Wyn have steadily reshaped the farm’s system with one overriding aim - to reduce its carbon footprint without compromising animal performance or profitability. The result is a highly efficient, largely self-sufficient beef business with impressively low emissions per kilogram of beef produced.
Dylan finishes around 1,600 dairy-cross cattle annually, supplying them on a monthly contract to ABP Foods. Animals are closely monitored, with regular weighing informing decisions on performance and finishing dates, usually between 28 and 30 months. The real transformation, however, began with an uncomfortable moment.
“About ten years ago, we hosted a group of farmers who were interested in how efficient and profitable the business was at the time,” Dylan recalls.
“Towards the end of the visit, someone asked how we managed sustainability alongside heavy stocking rates. That question really struck a chord.”
At the time, Castellior, which comprises 340 hectares, relied heavily on bought-in protein and soya. Dylan realised that, despite good technical performance from the farm’s 1,000 sheep and 700 cattle, the system was falling short of its environmental potential.
“I knew we had to change. Buying in protein meant we weren’t taking full responsibility for our footprint.”
Today, that reliance has been eliminated. Castellior produces around 2,500 tonnes of silage annually, forming the backbone of a protein-rich total mixed ration based entirely on home-grown crops. Red clover, Westerwold ryegrass, high-protein silage, crimped barley and straw now fully replace bought-in feed. The sheep flock was sold and the focus on increasing the beef herd began.
“We grow the crops to feed the stock, to make the muck which grows the crops! The protein-rich forage, especially red clover and barley, combined with Anglesey’s almost perfect microclimate, has made that possible.”
Central to this journey has been expert technical guidance. Dylan is quick to acknowledge the role of Farming Connect’s carbon specialist Dr Non Williams and Bangor University’s Professor of Agriculture and Environment, Prysor Williams, who together helped him understand where emissions were coming from and how to reduce them without sacrificing output.
“I wouldn’t be where I am now without Farming Connect,” Dylan says.
“That level of support and challenge made all the difference.”
As a past Farming Connect Focus Farmer and regular speaker at its events, Dylan now shares both data and experience with peers, openly demonstrating that intensive beef systems can deliver for the environment as well as the balance sheet.
He also believes the Welsh Government’s new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) will be critical in helping others follow a similar path.
“Despite my initial reluctance, not committing to the SFS could mean missing the opportunities ahead,” Dylan says.
“It provides the framework and direction farmers need if we’re going to meet demand for home-produced food without harming the environment.”
For Dylan, sustainability is not just about targets and metrics, it’s about future-proofing the farm for the next generation.
“These changes safeguard the business for my sons, should they choose to farm,” he says.
Multiple industry awards recognise his achievements. Earlier this year, Dylan received Farming Connect’s Farm Innovator award; in 2025 he received the Sir Bryner Jones Memorial Award; in 2024, he was Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year and British Farming Grassland Farmer of the Year. However, he remains focused on progress, not praise.
“If I can do this here, other farmers in Wales can too.
“With determination, the right advice and a willingness to change, intensive, sustainable farming really can be part of the solution.”