Organisers hope Cynefin can become a Welsh counterpart to Groundswell in England
Wales is getting a new nature-friendly farming event this September, with organisers hoping Cynefin can become a Welsh counterpart to Groundswell.
The two-day event will take place for the first time at Llangorse Multi Activity Centre near Brecon on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September.
Organised by NFFN Cymru in partnership with Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, Cynefin will bring together farmers, conservationists, policymakers and others interested in the future of Welsh farming and the countryside.
The programme will focus heavily on practical approaches, with sessions covering soil health, hedgerow management, grazing livestock and landscape-scale collaboration.
Farmers will also be able to take part in activities including a hedgerow safari and soil analysis session, alongside talks and discussions on biodiversity and resilient farm businesses.
Organisers say events built around farmer-led knowledge sharing have grown in popularity in recent years, with Cynefin intended to provide a similar platform in Wales to Groundswell in England and Fields Good in Northern Ireland.
NFFN Cymru manager Rhys Evans said: “Cynefin is a vital opportunity to celebrate all the great work farmers are doing for nature across Wales.”
He said the event would also provide an opportunity to challenge negative perceptions around agriculture and highlight the role farming can play in supporting biodiversity and improving environmental outcomes.
Evans added: “We often hear negative headlines linking agriculture to biodiversity decline or poor water quality, but nature-friendly farming can have tremendous environmental benefits and this is a chance to share that story more widely.”
A key focus will be showing how environmental measures can also support productive and profitable farm businesses.
“It will enable farmers to come together in a relaxed and informal setting to share their knowledge and learn more about how working with nature is not only good for our planet, but can make farms more profitable and productive while protecting them against volatile weather,” Evans said.
Saturday’s programme will look in greater detail at nature-friendly land management, including the role of grazing livestock as landscape engineers and the importance of habitats such as hedgerows.
There will also be discussion on how farmers can support species such as the curlew.
Farmer and television presenter Alun Elidyr will deliver a keynote speech before an evening of Welsh music from Gwilym Bowen Rhys and Lo-fi Jones.
On Sunday, the focus will shift towards collaboration between farmers at a landscape scale, alongside a guided walking tour of the host venue.
Organisers hope the event will help build stronger relationships between farming, conservation and rural communities in Wales.
Evans said: “We’re hoping Cynefin will help to forge strong, long-lasting relationships between everyone in Wales who is interested in farming, nature, the environment and our rural communities.”
The first Cynefin event will take place at Llangorse Multi Activity Centre near Brecon on 12 and 13 September, with organisers aiming to establish it as a long-term meeting place for those shaping the future of farming and nature in Wales.