Award for Agri-Academy student’s ‘exceptional’ farm action plan/Gwobrwyo myfyriwr yr Academi Amaeth am gynllun gweithredu ‘rhagorol’ argyfer fferm

Award for Agri-Academy student’s ‘exceptional’ farm action plan

One sheep farmer’s vision for shaping the future of a traditional family farm has earned him a Farming Connect Agri-Academy award at the 2017 Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

Huw Jones and his fellow 2017 Farming Connect Agri-Academy Business & Innovation Programme members had been set a challenge to produce a five-year ‘roadmap’ for a real life Somerset farm.

The action plans were based on original research and recommendations for delivering sustainability and profitability for Fernhill Farm.

The group spent three days at the farm before presenting their plans to a panel of judges, chaired by Professor Wynne Jones OBE FRAgS, chair of the Farming Connect strategic advisory board, and including the farmers, Andrew Ware and Jennifer Hunter, Gareth Wilson, head of Future Farming Policy at the Welsh Government, and organisational change consultant, Wyn Owen.

At a special ceremony at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Llanelwedd, Business & Innovation Programme co-ordinator, Geraint Hughes, of Menter a Busnes, said the panel was very impressed with the level of research carried out by members and the quality of their action plans.

Although each had the same farming business to work on, they all came up with different recommendations.

But it was Huw Jones’s proposal that captured the judges’ attention and he was presented with an award for a plan described as “exceptional’’ by Professor Jones.

Huw, who farms in Brecon, said the course had broadened his horizons, taking members back to the basics and making them ask questions of themselves.

“It gave us an ability to look at what we have, to analyse that, and to ask ourselves what we personally want from the business,’’ he said.

Each member was presented with a certificate to mark their membership of the Agri-Academy.

During their time on the course, they had been put through their paces in a demanding and stimulating programme of visits, workshops and presentations in a variety of locations, including an overseas visit to Switzerland.

The application window for the 2018 Agri Academy opens at the end of January.

Gwobrwyo myfyriwr yr Academi Amaeth am gynllun gweithredu ‘rhagorol’ argyfer fferm

Mae gweledigaeth un ffermwr defaid ar gyfer dyfodol fferm deuluol draddodiadol wedi ennill gwobr Academi Amaeth Cyswllt Ffermio yn Ffair Aeaf Frenhinol Cymru 2017.

Her Huw Jones a’i gyd aelodau yn y Rhaglen Busnes ac Arloesedd Academi Amaeth Cyswllt Ffermio 2017 oedd creu cynllun pum mlynedd ar gyfer fferm go iawn yn Somerset.

Roedd y cynlluniau gweithredu yn seiliedig ar waith ymchwil gwreiddiol ac awgrymiadau i sicrhau bod Fferm Fernhill yn gynaliadwy a phroffidiol.

Treuliodd y grŵp dri diwrnod ar y fferm cyn cyflwyno’u cynlluniau i banel o feirniaid dan arweiniad yr Athro Wynne Jones OBE FRAgS, sydd hefyd yn gadeirydd ar fwrdd cynghori strategol Cyswllt Ffermio. Roedd y panel hefyd yn cynnwys y ffermwyr, Andrew Ware a Jennifer Hunter a Gareth Wilson, pennaeth Polisi Ffermio yn y Dyfodol Llywodraeth Cymru a Wyn Owen, ymgynghorydd newid sefydliadol.

Mewn seremoni arbennig yn Ffair Aeaf Frenhinol Cymru yn Llanelwedd, dywedodd Geraint Hughes, cydlynydd Rhaglen Busnes ac Arloesedd yr Academi Amaeth gyda Menter a Busnes, fod y panel yn hapus iawn gyda safon gwaith ymchwil yr aelodau yn ogystal â safon y cynlluniau gweithredu.

Er bod gan bob un ohonynt yr un busnes fferm i weithio arni, roedd gan bob un

awgrymiadau gwahanol.

Ond, cynnig Huw Jones ddenodd sylw’r beirniaid, felly, derbyniodd wobr am gynllun a gafodd ei ddisgrifio fel ‘rhagorol’ gan yr Athro Jones.

Dywedodd Huw, sy’n ffermio yn Aberhonddu, fod y cwrs wedi ehangu ei orwelion, yn mynd yn ôl i’r pethau sylfaenol ac yn gwneud i’r aelodau gwestiynu eu hunain.

“Mae wedi galluogi ni i edrych ar beth sydd gennym ni yn barod er mwyn dadansoddi hynny a gofyn i’n hunain beth rydym ni’n bersonol eisiau oddi wrth y busnes,” dywedodd.

Derbyniodd pob aelod dystysgrif er mwyn nodi eu haelodaeth i’r Academi Amaeth.

Yn ystod eu hamser ar y cwrs, cafodd yr aelodau eu profi mewn rhaglen heriol a chyffrous o ymweliadau, gweithdai a chyflwyniadau mewn amrywiaeth o leoliadau gan gynnwys ymweliad tramor i’r Swistir.

Mae’r cyfnod ymgeisio ar gyfer Academi Amaeth 2018 yn agor ar ddiwedd mis Ionawr.