Delyth Fôn Owen and Andrew Rees have recently joined an already bursting directory of Mentors as part of the Farming Connect Mentoring programme. The programme provides farmers and foresters with 15 hours of free guidance from their peers on a wide range of topics. Farming Connect is delivered by Menter a Busnes and funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Delyth is a passionate advocate for succession-planning and communication within farming families, combining her skills as a qualified BACP Counsellor and succession planner.
“I feel I have the qualities that are needed to support farmers and their families, and would very much like the opportunity to support and guide farming families through succession planning,” she said.
Andrew and his family farm 320 spring-calving British Friesians, plus replacements and breeding bulls, on 400 acres, plus an additional 75 acres on a short-term arrangement. As a soil health enthusiast, Andrew has been concentrating on practices that protect soils, increase soil biology and that reduce the reliance on external inputs such as chemical fertilisers.
“I can see so much benefit to understanding and nurturing soils on your farm and the knock-on effects in terms of production, animal health and margins, and would like to help and encourage others to have the confidence to make these changes on their own farm.”
Since the programme began in 2015, it has provided farmers with 4918 hours of free advice, helping 527 individuals and businesses.
Heledd Dancer, the Development and Mentoring Manager for Farming Connect, said, “We’re excited to welcome both Andrew and Delyth to our Mentoring Team. We now have 65 mentors from all corners of Wales, offering advice on a range of topics.”
“Andrew will be offering advice on soil health, and Delyth is specialising in succession facilitating. Sometimes, the best kind of help is from someone who's been there and done that, and are more than happy to share their experiences.”
To access the Mentoring program, contact Farming Connect on 08456 000 813 or visit our website.
This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.