A new entrant has secured a 'close to perfect' opportunity to farm thanks to a share farming agreement with a landowner.
Carine Kidd’s family has farmed Glanmynys near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire for generations.
She was keen to secure the farm’s future, share the responsibility for the day to day running of the farm, and allow the farm to continue to develop.
A share farming agreement offered a solution and the opportunity was advertised through the Venture scheme, spearheaded by Welsh government's Farming Connect programme.
The scheme is designed to pair up new entrants with landowners. As a result, Carine has helped new entrant Peredur Owen, a farmer’s son from north Wales.
He had been working for Dunbia but wanted to get a foothold in farming; the scale and potential to farm at Glanmynys, which extends to approximately 500 acres, provided an exciting opportunity.
The pair started farming together in November 2018 and they now run 700 Welsh and Aberfield x Welsh breeding ewes and 150 followers, 25 Simmental-cross suckler cows and 40 Angus-cross youngstock.
The aim is to grow grass efficiently and convert good quality forage into liveweight.
Peredur said the next few years will be challenging: “We are continuing the good work that was previously done and looking to the future to expand both the flock and the herd and to make ourselves sustainable in a world without subsidies.”
The farm had also been successful in securing a Farm Business Grant to buy sheep handling equipment, an investment which was an added attraction for Peredur when he applied for the share farming opportunity.
'Close to perfect'
Speaking about the opportunity to farm as a new entrant, he described his share farming agreement as 'close to perfect'.
“I have been lucky because I had never expected to be farming on this scale at the age of 26.
“If you are desperate to get into farming, when opportunities become available through Venture, it might mean accepting something that’s not perfect to begin with to get a foothold and to then work at making it perfect,” he said.
They both believe that the support provided by Farming Connect to farmers in Wales is beneficial.
Peredur added: “It is a very good scheme. Farmers in Wales need to make good use of it. I have friends in England who can’t believe there is so much support available for farmers here in Wales.”
Farming Connect, which is delivered by Menter a Busnes and Lantra, is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Welsh Government.
