Women in agriculture learn that looking after yourself and your workers could be key to influencing change within Welsh farm businesses

Women in agriculture learn that looking after yourself and your workers could be key to influencing change within Welsh farm businesses

There were great gales of laughter and shudders of horror in equal measures from the women from across Wales who attended Farming Connect’s recent Women in Agriculture forum held in Portmeirion and in Cardigan Castle.

Chaired by tv presenter and farmer’s daughter Dot Davies, a familiar face on S4C and BBC Wales, the event clearly hit its target of inspiring, motivating and empowering all those who attended, with a packed programme of presentations, workshops and interactive sessions on topical issues which affect women working in the industry today.

They considered topics ranging from Brexit and its likely opportunities and challenges for Welsh farm businesses to recognising that staff are always a business’s most important asset. They heard about the value of taking time out to consider their own well-being and participated in a session on mindfulness, which has long been recognised as helping reduce stress in the business sector. Then they all took part in a laughter therapy exercise described as ‘internal jogging’ and which should apparently be part of everybody’s daily routine if they want to live life to the full!
The shudders of horror were reserved for the workshops on digital security or ‘cybercrime’ from two expert speakers on the subject from Dyfed Powys Police.

“Almost every lady present realised we are all running huge risks of our businesses being ‘hacked’ or worse, through not taking sufficient measures to protect our online identities,” said  Eleri Jones, whose family run a 350 acre dairy and sheep holding,  Penlanymor in Llanarth.

“The whole day was inspirational with an excellent variety of topics that sent us all home with so much to think about and I will personally put into practice a lot of what I learned today,” added Mrs. Jones.

Menter a Busnes’ HR Director, Corinna Lloyd-Jones, also talked about the importance of valuing people, who she explained are the most important assets for all businesses. Corinna offered guidance on implementing and evaluating performance management systems which are essential for every business

Keynote speaker Fflur Sheppard, who was brought up on her parents’ farm on the Dolaucothi National Trust estate in Carmarthenshire, and who is an associate director at PR agency Beattie Communications said,

“I enjoyed talking to such a forward-thinking audience about the principles of winning support and influencing opinion – skills that will be so important as we head towards Brexit.

“While everyone attending had two clear things in common – they were women in agriculture – what really struck me was the diversity of their perspectives and strengths, and how they were united in their determination to take positive steps forward for themselves, their families and businesses, and the wider industry.”

Farming Connect provides a range of services and events which support women working in agriculture in Wales. If you’re interested in joining one of our Women in Agriculture groups or for more information on any of our services, visit wwww.wales.gov/farmingconnect or contact your local development officer, whose contacts are shown on the Farming Connect website.

Farming Connect is funded through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Datganiad i’r Wasg

Merched mewn amaeth yn dysgu y gallai edrych ar ôl eich hun a’ch gweithwyr fod yn allweddol i ddylanwadu ar newid mewn busnesau fferm yng Nghymru
Roedd mesurau cyfartal o chwerthin ac arswyd gan ferched ar draws Cymru a fynychodd fforwm Merched mewn Amaeth a gynhaliwyd gan Cyswllt Ffermio ym Mhortmeirion ac yng Nghastell Aberteifi yn ddiweddar.
Merch fferm sy’n wyneb cyfarwydd fel cyflwynwyd teledu ar S4C a BBC Cymru, Dot Davies, oedd yn cadeirio’r fforwm. Llwyddodd y sesiwn i gyrraedd y targed, sef ysbrydoli, ysgogi a galluogi pawb oedd yno, trwy raglen o gyflwyniadau, gweithdai a sesiynau rhyngweithiol ar faterion y dydd a allai effeithio ar ferched sy’n gweithio yn y diwydiant heddiw.
Rhoddwyd sylw i bynciau’n amrywio o Brexit a’r cyfleoedd a’r heriau sy’n debygol o ddeillio ohono i fusnesau fferm yng Nghymru i gydnabod mai staff yw ased pwysicaf busnes bob amser. Trafodwyd gwerth neilltuo amser i ystyried eu lles eu hunain a chymerwyd rhan mewn sesiwn ar ymwybyddiaeth ofalgar, sydd wedi’i gydnabod ers amser fel ffordd sy’n helpu i leihau straen yn y sector busnes. Yna cymerodd bawb ran mewn ymarferiad therapi chwerthin a ddisgrifiwyd fel ‘jogio mewnol’ a ddylai fod yn rhan o batrwm bob dydd pawb os ydynt eisiau byw bywyd llawn!
Roedd yr arswyd yn amlwg yn y gweithdai ar ddiogelwch digidol neu ’seiberdroseddau’ oedd dan ofal dau siaradwr a oedd yn arbenigo ar y pwnc o Heddlu Dyfed Powys.
“Sylweddolodd bob un o’r merched a oedd yno fod risgiau enfawr i fusnesau pob un gael eu ‘hacio’ neu’n waeth na hynny, drwy beidio â chymryd mesurau digonol i ddiogelu ein hunaniaeth ar-lein,” meddai Eleri Jones, sy’n rhedeg fferm laeth a defaid 350 erw gyda’i theulu ym Mhenlanymor yn Llanarth.
“Roedd y diwrnod cyfan yn ysbrydoliaeth gydag amrywiaeth ragorol o bynciau. Aethom adref gyda llawer i fyfyrio arno ac yn bersonol, byddaf yn gweithredu llawer o’r hyn yr wyf wedi’i ddysgu heddiw,” ychwanegodd Mrs. Jones.
Cafwyd cyflwyniad gan Gyfarwyddwr Adnoddau Dynol cwmni Menter a Busnes, Corinna Lloyd-Jones. Roedd ei chyflwyniad yn trafod “Ai pobl yw eich adnodd pwysicaf?” Roedd ei thrafodaeth yn cynnwys ei phrofiad o weithredu, gwerthuso ac adolygu systemau rheoli perfformiad ac am bwysigrwydd bobl o fewn busnesau.
Meddai’r prif siaradwr Fflur Sheppard, a fagwyd ar fferm ei rhieni ar ystâd Dolaucothi yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, ac sy’n gyfarwyddwr cyswllt yng nghwmni cysylltiadau cyhoeddus Beattie Communications,
“Mwynheais siarad gyda chynulleidfa mor flaengar am egwyddorion ennill cefnogaeth a dylanwadu ar farn – sgiliau a fydd mor bwysig wrth i ni symud ymlaen tuag at Brexit.
“Tra oedd gan bawb a oedd yno ddau beth clir yn gyffredin – merched mewn amaeth oedden nhw – yr hyn a’m trawodd oedd amrywiaeth eu persbectif a’u cryfderau, a’u penderfyniad unfrydol i gymryd camau cadarnhaol drostynt eu hunain, eu teuluoedd a’u busnesau, a’r diwydiant yn ehangach.”
Mae Cyswllt Ffermio’n darparu amryw o wasanaethau a digwyddiadau sy’n cefnogi merched sy’n gweithio mewn amaeth yng Nghymru. Os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn ymuno ag un o’n grwpiau Merched mewn Amaeth neu i gael gwybodaeth bellach am unrhyw un o’n gwasanaethau, ewch i, www.llyw.cymru/cyswlltffermio neu cysylltwch â’ch swyddog datblygu lleol, mae eu manylion cyswllt ar gael ar wefan Cyswllt Ffermio.

Ariennir Cyswllt Ffermio drwy Raglen Datblygu Gwledig 2014-2020 Llywodraeth Cymru, sydd wedi’i ariannu gan Gronfa Amaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig a Llywodraeth Cymru.