High-flying Nuffield scholar to lead Farming Connect Agri Academy Junior Programme

He’s a chartered surveyor and rural valuer, a Nuffield scholar, a local radio presenter and in agricultural circles, he’s in demand at home and internationally as a public speaker too! Now, Carmarthenshire farmer’s son Aled Rhys Jones BSc(Hons) MRICS FAAV NSch, who grew up on the family beef and sheep holding in Cwrt-y-Cadno, is adding yet another string to his bow by joining Farming Connect as the newly appointed leader of the Agri Academy Junior Programme.

Welsh speaker Aled, who from 2013 to the end of 2017 was assistant chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, seems to have packed as much into his 31years as many people achieve in a lifetime! But Aled says that his latest role with the Agri Academy, which will see him inspiring and mentoring 16 – 19 year olds hoping for a career in the food, farming or land management industries, could be one of the most rewarding yet.

“As a former Agri Academy candidate myself, and with the closing date for this year’s applicants only a few weeks away on 30 March, I’m very keen to get the message out to young people from a rural background in Wales that for me, the experience was one of the most important and influential stepping stones in terms of personal development and career enhancement” says Aled.

A first class honours graduate from Reading University, where he won the ‘best rural practice’ student award as part of his land management degree, Aled was one of the youngest qualified chartered surveyors in the UK when he gained chartered status at just 23. Later that year and another exam later, he was also made a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.

Einir Davies, manager for Farming Connect’s mentoring and development programme said that Aled brings a wealth of experience and skills to the role.

“The Agri Academy Junior Programme, which is a joint collaboration with Wales YFC, has already proved a hugely valuable springboard for many young people from Wales

“We are so fortunate to have someone of Aled’scalibre involved with not only selecting this year’s candidates but in planning the 2018 programme of mentoring, training and study visits, which as in previous years, will also include a work experience placement for each of the participants,” said Ms. Davies.

“Aled is an inspirational, hugely professional and popular individual, yet he willingly acknowledges that it was his own Agri Academy experience, and the new networks of friends and contacts he made at that time, that led him to apply for a Nuffield Farming Scholarship.”

Aled’s Nuffield scholarship looked at the role of agricultural societies and shows across the globe, which not only won him a shield for the best presentation at the Nuffield UK conference held in Newcastle in 2016 but has since that time led him to being invited to address show societies throughout the world. He presented a paper at the 27^th Commonwealth Agricultural Conference in Singapore in 2016, was invited to be a trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth and will now lead the Next Generation Conference at the 28^th Commonwealth Agricultural Conference in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, later this year.

Aled, who lives with wife Lisa in Llandeilo, says his key interests involve keeping fit and running – he’s a regular marathon runner – and he sings with a male vocal group called ‘Ar Wasgar’ with other former YFC members for a bit of fun.

“I’m looking forward to supporting and mentoring the coming year’s intake of candidates, and I’ll be doing all I can to help facilitate and guide them as they begin to plan their future career pathways.

“These young individuals are the future of our industry; good preparation will be key to their future prosperity and that of farming in Wales.”

Farming Connect is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

The application window for all three programmes of the Agri Academy 2018 (Rural Leadership Programme, Business & Innovation Programme and Junior Programme) is open until midnight on Friday, 30 March 2018. For further information and to download application forms visit www.gov.wales/farmingconnect

Ysgolor Nuffield blaenllaw yn arwain Rhaglen yr Ifanc Academi Amaeth Cyswllt Ffermio

Mae’n syrfëwr siartredig ac yn brisiwr gwledig, yn ysgolor Nuffield, yn gyflwynydd radio lleol ac mewn cylchoedd amaethyddol mae galw mawr arno hefyd yn y wlad hon ac ar draws y byd fel siaradwr cyhoeddus! Mae Aled Rhys Jones BSc (Anrhydedd) MRICS FAAV NSch, a fagwyd ar fferm bîff a defaid y teulu yng Nghwrt-y-Cadno, yn ychwanegu at y rhestr hon trwy ymuno â Chyswllt Ffermio ar ôl cael ei benodi’n ddiweddar fel arweinydd Rhaglen yr Ifanc Academi Amaeth.

Mae’n ymddangos bod Aled, sy’n siaradwr Cymraeg, ac a fu rhwng 2013 a diwedd 2017 yn brif weithredwr cynorthwyol Sioe Amaethyddol Frenhinol Cymru, wedi cyflawni mwy mewn 31 o flynyddoedd nag y mae llawer o bobl yn ei wneud drwy gydol eu hoes! Ond dywed Aled mai’r swydd ddiweddaraf gyda’r Academi Amaeth, lle bydd yn ysbrydoli ac yn mentora pobl fanc rhwng 16 a 19 oed sy’n gobeithio cael gyrfa yn y diwydiant bwyd, ffermio neu reolaeth tir, o bosibl fydd yn rhoi’r mwyaf o bleser iddo eto.

“Fel cyn ymgeisydd Academi Amaeth, a gyda’r dyddiad cau ar gyfer ymgeiswyr eleni ymhen ychydig o wythnosau ar 30 Mawrth, rwy’n awyddus iawn i gyfleu’r neges i bobl ifanc o gefndir gwledig yng Nghymru, fod y profiad i mi’n bersonol wedi bod yn un o’r cerrig camu pwysicaf a mwyaf dylanwadol o ran datblygiad personol a hybu gyrfa.” meddai Aled.

Gyda gradd dosbarth cyntaf o Brifysgol Reading, lle enillodd y wobr ‘ymarfer gwledig gorau’ i fyfyrwyr fel rhan o’i radd rheolaeth tir, roedd Aled yn un o’r syrfëwyr siartredig cymwysedig ieuengaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig pan lwyddodd i sicrhau’r statws yn 23 oed. Yn ddiweddarach y flwyddyn honno ac ar ôl sefyll arholiad arall, daeth yn Gymrawd Cymdeithas Ganolog y Priswyr Amaethyddol.

Yn ôl Einir Davies, rheolwr rhaglen mentora a datblygu Cyswllt Ffermio mae Aled yn dod â chyfoeth o brofiad a sgiliau i’r swydd.

“Mae Rhaglen yr Ifanc yr Academi Amaeth, sy’n gynllun ar y cyd â CFfI Cymru, eisoes wedi bod yn brofiad gwerthfawr iawn i nifer o bobl ifanc o Gymru.

“Rydym mor ffodus o gael rhywun o safon Aled nid yn unig i ddewis ymgeiswyr eleni ond i gynllunio’r rhaglen fentora, yr hyfforddiant a’r teithiau astudio yn 2018, fydd fel yn y blynyddoedd blaenorol, hefyd yn cynnwys lleoliad profiad gwaith i bob un o’r rhai fydd yn rhan o’r rhaglen,” meddai Ms. Davies.

“Mae Aled yn unigolyn hynod o broffesiynol a phoblogaidd sy’n ysbrydoli eraill, eto mae’n barod i gydnabod mai ei brofiad ef ei hun gyda’r Academi Amaeth, a’r rhwydwaith newydd o ffrindiau a chysylltiadau a wnaeth ar y pryd, a’i harweiniodd i ymgeisio am Ysgoloriaeth Ffermio Nuffield.”

Yn ystod ei ysgoloriaeth Nuffield edrychodd Aled ar rôl cymdeithasau a sioeau amaethyddol ar draws y byd. Llwyddodd i ennill tarian am y cyflwyniad gorau yng nghynhadledd Nuffield y DU a gynhaliwyd yn Newcastle yn 2016, ac mae’r llwyddiant hwnnw wedi arwain at gael ei wahodd i siarad mewn cymdeithasau drwy’r byd. Cyflwynodd bapur yng Nghynhadledd Amaethyddol y Gymanwlad (27ain) yn Singapore yn 2016 fe’i gwahoddwyd i fod yn ymddiriedolwr Cymdeithas Amaethyddol Frenhinol y Gymanwlad ac ef fydd yn arwain Cynhadledd y Genhedlaeth Nesaf yng Nghynhadledd Amaethyddol y Gymanwlad (yr28ain)  yn Edmonton,  Alberta Canada, yn ddiweddarach eleni.

Dywed Aled, sy’n byw gyda’i wraig Lisa yn Llandeilo, mai ei brif ddiddordebau yw cadw’n heini a rhedeg – mae’n rhedeg yn gyson mewn sawl marathon – mae’n canu gyda grŵp o fechgyn o’r enw ‘Ar Wasgar’ sy’n gyn-aelodau o’r CFfI er mwyn pleser.

“Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at gefnogi a mentora ymgeiswyr eleni, a byddaf yn gwneud popeth a allaf i helpu i’w hybu a’u harwain wrth iddynt gynllunio llwybrau eu gyrfaoedd yn y dyfodol.

“Yr unigolion yma yw dyfodol ein diwydiant, bydd paratoi’n dda’n allweddol i’w ffyniant yn y dyfodol ac i ffyniant ffermio yng Nghymru.”

Ariennir Cyswllt Ffermio gan Lywodraeth Cymru a ChronfaAmaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig.

Mae cyfle i wneud cais am dair rhaglen Academi Amaeth 2018 (Rhaglen Arweinyddiaeth Wledig,Rhaglen Arweinyddiaeth Wledig a  Rhaglen yr Ifanc hyd at hanner nos ddydd Gwener, 30 Mawrth. Am wybodaeth bellach ac i lawrlwytho ffurflenni cais ewch i www.llyw.cymru/cyswlltffermio