Finalists prepare for top women farmer award

This month's Royal Welsh Agricultural Winter Fair will be the venue for the final of one of Wales' most prestigious farming titles - NFU Cymru / Natwest Wales Woman Farmer of the Year.

Now in its ninth year, the competition aims to celebrate the often forgotten contribution that women make to Welsh farming. Previous winners have gone on to hold key roles in the industry and win other awards.

This year's finalists come from Bala in Gwynedd; Penybontfawr in Powys and Sarnau, Ceredigion. They are:

Gwenfair Jones of Hafod Yr Esgob Isa Farm, Cwmtirmynach, Bala, has developed her Welsh Black cattle herd business single-handedly over the past 20 years. As well as running the business, she has brought up her two sons, who now farm in partnership. She is the previous President of the Welsh Black Cattle Society, is involved in the local YFC and is a Governor at the local primary school.

Delyth Davies of Ty Nant Farm, Penybontfawr, Oswestry. Delyth has shown the ability to turn her hand to anything over the past 20 years from lambing and calving, to preparing wages to more recently getting to grips with agricultural software on the computer.

She is involved in many local organisations including a governor at the school, a consultative member and past president of the local YFC, an organist and a harpist. Her main contribution to the rural village is the management and running of the village shop and post office. Delyth and her late husband bought the shop four years ago and she has worked hard, without any previous experience, to make the business grow.

Jenny Davies, of Llwynhelyg Farm and shop, Sarnau, Ceredigion runs the 75 acre farm with her husband. In 1987 they decided that the farm was not large enough to support a young family so they diversified and opened what is now a very successful, award winning, farm shop. Jenny is active in the local community with encouraging healthy eating at the local schools and is involved with the YFC.

"It was very difficult to whittle the finalists down to three," admits Natwest's Regional Agricultural Manager, Martin Doyle, the competition's sponsor. "But they all have one thing in common - complete commitment to their farms and to the industry as a whole."

NFU Cymru Vice-President, Dai Davies, said, "It is truly astounding how these women manage to fit so much into their lives. They successfully combine running a busy farm with raising a family and more often than not, also play a role in local community life and other organisations. They really are the backbone of Welsh family farming."

The winner will receive £500 and an engraved crystal fruit bowl, while the runners up will receive £100 each. The judges will carry out on-farm interviews with the shortlisted candidates before announcing the winner at this year's Winter Fair. When shortlisting they looked for women who demonstrated the part they play in making the farm a successful economic unit; their contribution to improving the role of women in farming and their involvement in local community life and other organisations.