Why Tom would be an effective mentor

  • With many years of experience and through personal enthusiasm for the subject, Tom has acquired extensive knowledge of native plants, fruit and nut trees, timber trees and novel tree crops that work well in the Welsh climate.
  • Since 2012 he has been building up his own agroforestry consultancy on silviculture and tree-related topics.
  • He has spent the last twenty years visiting different agroforestry sites and systems throughout northern Europe and the UK which has given him a broad understanding of applications in windbreaks, phytoremediation, flood mitigation, commercial crops and habitat restoration.  
  • He has planted trees on his own 10 acre site in Pembrokeshire, experimenting with tree species, novel crops and specific varieties developed for reliable yields in order to observe what thrives in the Welsh climate. 
  • His understanding of how trees and other plants can be integrated into farm businesses and the Welsh landscape is a topic he is looking forward to sharing with other interested farmers as a Farming Connect mentor, when you’ll not only hear about his many successes but the challenges he’s faced too.  
  • In his agroforestry consultancy role undertaken over the last decade, he particularly enjoys discussing other people’s ideas and helping these to develop into workable, sustainable systems that complement existing activity.
  • A good listener, he visualises ideas clearly and communicates his thoughts in a succinct and professional manner. Expect to receive honest feedback and support to help you develop new ideas and plans for tree-planting of any scale

Current farm business

  • Tom runs a 10-acre smallholding in Pembrokeshire.  In addition to keeping poultry and Badger-face Torwen sheep, he has planted up a nut orchard and a top-fruit orchard (both of which are grazed by the sheep) and several areas for tree hay / tree barns, as well as small scale coppice / timber production.
  • In 2012, Tom set up is own agroforestry consultancy. He undertakes private consultancy work for landowners throughout West Wales, working on orchard design, silvopasture systems and woodland creation projects. 
  • He recently started to sell directly to the public from an onsite nursery, an enterprise he plans to develop further. 

Qualifications/achievements/ experience

  • Although not formally trained in silviculture, Tom has extensive knowledge of the topic through more than 25 years of working in the sector. 

  • Over the last 10 years he has planted many hundreds of trees on his own site as a way to experiment with different species, novel crops and specific varieties developed for reliable yields in order to observe what thrives in the Welsh climate. 

  • Tom has spent 25 years collecting seed and propagating from specimens encountered through his work, amassing a large collection of unique trees and other plants which are grown at his smallholding.
     

Top tips for business success

“Planting more trees on your farm doesn’t need to mean sacrificing productive land to woodland. With a good planting design which strikes the right balance, even a few trees can greatly enrich existing land use.”
“Livestock love trees. Including trees in a pasture offers shade, shelter, free access to browse, even a place to have a scratch! Expect to see improvements in body condition and temperament.” 
“Trees enhance nutrient cycling, soil building and water infiltration, leading to reduced inputs for the farmer.”
“In terms of wildlife, a single, open field-grown tree with a full canopy can be worth as much as several equivalent trees grown in a dense stand.”

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