Welsh family with traceability at heart wins Sustainable Agriculture Award

A farming family has been hailed for their commitment to the economic and environmental wellbeing of Wales thanks to their minimum food miles and traceability.

Clive Swan and family from Ffrith Farm, Mold, Flintshire, have been announced as the winners of this year’s NFU Cymru / Wynnstay Sustainable Agriculture Award.

The award, which was first presented in 2019, recognises farming businesses who boost the wellbeing of Wales, either economically, environmentally, socially and culturally.

The Swans farm in the fertile fields of Mold, home to a 150-beef cattle herd. Having started with two pigs in 2010, they now have over 100 and also run a flock of free-range hens.

All of these animals supply their bustling farm shop which the family, made up of Clive, wife Gail, son Ed and daughter Rebecca, opened in March 2003.

They pride themselves on offering a fine food shopping experience with exceptional home produced and locally produced food.

The Swan family have farmed the 200 acres since 1980 and their emphasis has always been on minimum food miles and traceability.

Since joining the business full time in December 2021, Clive and Gail’s son Ed has been committed to taking the farm and shop to the next level by focusing on sustainability and their environmental impact.

It’s not ‘just a farm shop’, the Swans now have a farm-to-shop-trail to educate members of the public.

People can walk around the farm and see the free-range pigs, the beef suckler herd, free range hens, honeybees and barley and wheat growing in the fields.

Ed has also branched out into growing pumpkins and sunflowers which are extremely popular with the general public.

They host regular farm tours and educational visits for children, the WI, Scouts and local community groups.

For some locals, a visit to the farm shop is their weekly interaction with other people and it is also a safe place for people to go to when they are struggling, as the family offer a warm welcome and a listening ear.

Hedd Pugh, NFU Cymru rural affairs board chairman, one of the judges for the award, congratulated the Swan family on winning.

He said: "It’s great to see the farm running alongside the shop and how they’ve managed to integrate the two businesses and involve customers in the whole process from farm to fork.

“Producing high quality products whilst maintaining, protecting and enhancing the environment makes the Swans a fantastic example of how productive, efficient food production, environmental management and climate change mitigation measures can go hand in hand.

“The wide and varied roles that their family play in the rural community, in education and their interaction with the public makes them a Sustainable Agriculture Champion, a shining example of the contribution that Welsh farmers make.”