Pen power lands youngsters top prizes at contest

A budding storyteller from Powys is now running his own miniature farm after scooping the top prize in a writing competition organised by NFU Cymru.

Britains Farm Toys joined forces with NFU Cymru to offer £200 worth of farm toys and tractors to a talented youngster, aged between five and 12 from anywhere in Wales, who penned a descriptive account of their visit to a farm.

The judge of the countryside reporter competition, Ed Bailey the President of NFU Cymru, chose Mark Thomas, aged nine, from Cwmcamlais, Brecon, as the winner after being impressed with his report of all of the sights, sounds and smells of their day on a farm.

Ed Bailey, NFU Cymru President said, "I was very impressed with Mark’s entry in particular as he described his school day trip to a dairy farm. His description of a calf being born as, "all covered in slimy stuff and it looked yucky," was superb. Congratulations to Mark, I am very jealous of your prize."

Craig Varley of Britains Farm Toys said, "All of the entries have been so inspiring. The children have brilliantly articulated just how much they have learnt about farming and the wildlife from their farm visits earlier in the year. The winners can now put their learning into practice with their own holdings!"

The winner won a whole miniature farm, while the second prize winner, aged between five and seven, won a Britains Big Farm remote controlled John Deere tractor. Llyr Thomas, aged seven, from Newbridge on Wye, Powys, was the lucky recipient of that prize.