Farming Connect

After a working lifetime of milking other farmer's cows, Steve Withers seized an opportunity to establish his own herd.

Habitats such as wildflower meadows, wetlands, heather moorland, native woodland and coastal grasslands all depend upon grazing and browsing animals to some extent.

The most popular management tool for slugs are slug pellets.

Once you have cows in calf they must be managed to ensure the birth and rearing of a healthy, vigorous calf.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture Alun Davies AM launched the application window for the Agri-Academy 2013, which includes both the Rural Leadership Programme (a joint collaboration with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society) and the Business & Innovation Programme, at this year’s annual Farmers’ ...

Farmers aim to run profitable and efficient farms that make the best use of all resources available. Nutrient management planning plays an important part in maximising yields of grass and other crops grown.

Farming Connect will run a ‘Renewables Clinic’ at the Welsh Renewable Energy Exchange event on Thursday 18 April at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells.

Farming Connect has begun its search for six teams of three enthusiastic farmers from across Wales, to compete against each other to produce the most profitable pen of lambs grazed on a fodder crop.

Farming Connect has launched a new online service that makes it possible for farmers to access comprehensive reports of demonstration farm open days, whether or not they are able to attend.

James and Owain Stephens worked on dairy farms after leaving school but shared a vision to one day run their own herd.

Cerrigcaranau is a Farming Connect demonstration farm in North Ceredigion run as a partnership between Dilwyn Jenkins and his family. The dairy herd consists of 110 cows, and as with most dairy farms, electricity costs are high.

The Howells are keen to explore options for performance recording the pedigree Limousin herd and are working with Alison Glasgow of the British Limousin Cattle Society.

Come along to one of our events and hear Alun Davies speaking about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Pregnant women should avoid close contact with lambing sheep, as their unborn babies could be at risk from infections that occur in some ewes.

Farming Connect has begun its search for forward thinking farmers from across Wales to join the Agri-Academy 2013 - the innovative and pioneering rural enterprise initiative which incorporates two distinct elements - the Business & Innovation Programme and the Rural Leadership Programme.

Talk to any of the many farmers in Wales who have received support through Farming Connect’s Whole Farm Plan or Farm Advisory Service, and most will tell you that one of the most important benefits of receiving professional advice or guidance from independent companies, is the opportunity to talk t ...

Farming Connect is working with WRAP Cymru (Waste & Resources Action Programme) to disseminate the latest results from the recent Digestate and Compost in Agriculture field experiments funded by WRAP/Defra.

Winterton Farm is a 220 acre Farming Connect Demonstration Farm which includes a further 15 acres of rented land run by Steve and Liz Ford.

A recent study in Wales found that approximately 10% of lamb losses were due to infections, such as watery mouth, navel ill or joint ill.

Due to the poor summer, Welsh farmers are advised to check sheep diets and keep a closer watch on ewe condition score over the winter according to Dr John Vipond of the Scottish Agricultural College.

How much is your livestock feed costing?

Farming Connect have produced some new fact sheets.

The milder, dryer weather conditions of the south west Wales coastline and Farming Connect’s keenness to support Welsh horticulturalists and farmers diversifying into food production, proved a winning combination for experienced retailer and grower Adam York, when he decided to set up a new market ...

A Farming Connect workshop targeted at pig producers and vets will examine the various aspects of Salmonella control on pig farms.

Lan Farm, Cynwyl Elfed, Carmarthenshire

Farming can be an isolating profession and farmers often don’t know how their business performs financially in comparison to similar farms.

There are a number of benefits from winter shearing, according to independent sheep consultant, Catherine Nakielny.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture Alun Davies will lead a line-up of high-profile speakers at the second Farming Connect Spotlight Conference, to be held on Wednesday, 6 February at Hafod a Hendre on the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells.

Already described as ‘some of the brightest prospects in Welsh farming’ by a judging panel chaired by Welsh agriculture expert Professor Wynne Jones, the pan-Wales group of farmers selected as this year’s candidates for the Farming Connect Agri-Academy Business & Innovation Programme have now c ...

Taking the ‘Farming Connect means business’ theme forward, Farming Connect has arranged a series of evening events which will ensure farmers and foresters in Wales are brought up to speed on some of the critical factors relating to running a successful business.

Come and visit Farming Connect at the Winter Fair.

The number of days of subsidised business and technical support available to all eligible farm and forestry businesses registered with Farming Connect, has been increased from five to eight days.

The environment in which we keep our dairy cows, and our management of them, can have a dramatic bearing on time budgets of various behaviours.

More producers are considering finishing their lambs rather than selling them as stores or even looking to purchase store lambs and finish them at a later date suggests Marc Jones of ADAS.

Local food producers drawn together by Farming Connect’s Agrisgôp programme are the inspiration for a new delicatessen in a Welsh harbour town.

Farming Connect and DairyCo have arranged a series of meetings across Wales on 25, 26 and 27 September for dairy farmers who will receive advice on what they can do to reduce the impact of poor fodder on the performance of their herd and effects to their business over the coming months.

Meilir Jones and his father Dei employ one part time worker at Gop Farm, which extends to 210 acres with an additional 50 acres rented.

Now is a good time to consider whether tupping ewe lambs is an opportunity to increase returns according to independent sheep consultant Catherine Nakielny.

The Farming Connect Knowledge Transfer Programme publishes a wide range of fact sheets offering advice to farmers on topical issues.

Costs of pasture reseeding are now estimated as being in excess of £200/acre, with organic seed often 50% more expensive than its conventional counterpart.

A brassica crop is an excellent break crop before re-introducing a grass ley, but it has to be managed well to reap the rewards of its high quality forage according to independent consultant, Charlie Morgan.

Wyn Owen of Menter a Busnes has been invited to visit Japan to give a presentation on Agrisgôp, Farming Connect's flagship management development programme for farmers, at a Global Action Learning forum to be held in Yokohama from the 17th to the 20th of June.

Potential entrepreneurs and future leaders of Wales' farming industry have been named today with the unveiling of candidates selected for both Farming Connect's Agri-Academy Rural Leadership Programme.

Welsh farmers can go on-line to gauge what skills they need to develop their businesses thanks to a new online assessment service unveiled at this year’s Royal Welsh Show.

During the harvesting period it is particularly important that suitable biosecurity measures are in place.

Researchers at Bangor University are currently investigating whether adding biochar (a type of charcoal) to agricultural soils in Wales will produce the same kind of benefits reported from countries such as Australia and Brazil.

Mains water charges are currently at around 90p to £1:50 per cubic metre and are likely to rise as pressure to improve water quality increases. Water is, therefore, an important resource on all farms, even in high rainfall areas like Wales, and should be used wisely according to David Harris of ADA ...

Using the most efficient tractor for a job, tractor maintenance and selection of other machinery can all help reduce your fuel use according to Tom Robertson of Scottish Agricultural College (SAC).

During their period as a Farming Connect Demonstration Farm, James and Alex Cowan have made changes to the farming system to make the farm more sustainable and profitable.

Farming Connect, as well as having a presence in the Welsh Government pavilion, will also be located in the Lantra building (Avenue K) where they’ll be showcasing some of the projects now taking place on Farming Connect Demonstration Farms.