Forestry scheme secures sustainable future for Welsh hill farm
A Welsh hill farm has secured a sustainable future by planting 120 acres of forestry through the Woodland Creation Scheme, a move that guarantees a long-term income for the business and makes better use of marginal land.
The Lydiate family farm sheep at Tynyberth, a 500-acre Farming Connect Demonstration Site at Abbey-Cwm-Hir, near Llandrindod Wells.
When Jack returned to farm in partnership with his parents, John and Lynne, in2016, he looked at options to put the business in a stronger position going forward.
At its highest point, the land rises to 1,750 feet and the potential of the more marginal land was not being maximised through livestock production.
Forestry was a good match for this land so, with advice from Geraint Jones, Farming Connect Forestry Technical Officer, Jack applied to be part of Glastir Woodland Creation, a Welsh Government scheme that provides financial support for new planting.
In 2017, 120 acres of hard and soft wood trees were planted and another 30 acres will be planted in 2018.
The agreement provides the Lydiates with a guaranteed annual payment for 12 years; 15 years after planting, the first thinnings will be taken and, after 30 years, the Lydiates can fell the mature forest and sell the wood as timber.
Jack, who with his wife, Katherine, has three young children, Milly, Trystan and Erin, says this diversification secures a future for the next generation.
“It gives me a baseline for when the trees need to be felled and secures a future for the children,’’ he says.
Geraint also made Jack aware of the Woodland Carbon Code. “The volume of carbon sequestered is calculated in terms of carbon tons and once validated can be sold to companies offsetting their carbon footprint,’’ Geraint explains.
The site at Tynyberth is forecast to sequester in excess of 8,000 carbon tons over the period of the contract.
“If it had not been for Farming Connect we would not have been aware of this scheme. It provides another important income source for the business,’’ says Jack.
Jack Lydiate gyda coeden wedi’i blanu’n newydd
Cynllun goedwigaeth yn sicrhau dyfodol cynaliadwy i fferm fynydd yng Nghymru
Mae fferm fynydd yng Nghymru wedi sicrhau dyfodol cynaliadwy trwy blannu 120 erw o goetir fel rhan o gynllun Creu Coetir. Bydd hyn yn sicrhau incwm tymor hir i’r busnes ac yn gwneud defnydd gwell o dir ymylol.
Mae’r teulu Lydiate yn ffermio defaid ar fferm 500 erw Tynyberth sydd hefyd yn Safle Arddangos i Cyswllt Ffermio yn Abaty Cwm-hir, ger Llandrindod.
Pan ddychwelodd Jack i ffermio yn 2016 mewn partneriaeth gyda’i rieni, John a Lynne, edrychodd ar opsiynau i sicrhau bod y busnes mewn sefyllfa gryfach wrth edrych i’r dyfodol.
Ar y man uchaf, mae’r ddaear yn codi i 1,750 troedfedd ond doedden nhw ddim yn gwneud y mwyaf o’r tir ymylol trwy gynhyrchu da byw.
Roedd coedwigaeth yn ddewis da ar gyfer y tir hwn felly, gyda chyngor oddi wrth Geraint Jones, Swyddog Technegol Coedwigaeth gyda Chyswllt Ffermio, gwnaeth Jack gais i fod yn rhan o gynllun Creu Coetir Glastir. Mae hwn yn gynllun gan Lywodraeth Cymru sy’n rhoi cefnogaeth ariannol ar gyfer plannu o’r newydd.
Yn 2017, cafodd 120 erw o goed pren meddal a chaled eu plannu a bydd 30 erw arall yn cael eu plannu yn 2018.
Mae’r cytundeb yn sicrhau taliad blynyddol am 12 mlynedd i’r teulu Lydiate. Bydd y teneuo cyntaf yn digwydd 15 mlynedd ar ôl plannu, ac ar ôl 30 mlynedd bydd y teulu yn medru torri’r goedwig aeddfed a gwerthu’r coed.
Dywedodd Jack fod arallgyfeirio yn sicrhau dyfodol ei blant ef a’i wraig Katherine sef Milly, Trystan ac Erin.
“Mae’n rhoi man cychwyn i mi pan fydd angen torri’r coed ac yn rhoi sicrwydd i ddyfodol y plant,” dywedodd.
Hefyd, gwnaeth Geraint sicrhau bod Jack yn ymwybodol o’r Cod Carbon Coetiroedd. “Mae’r carbon sydd wedi cael ei neilltuo yn cael ei gyfrif mewn tunelli carbon. Unwaith y bydd wedi cael ei ddilysu mae’n gallu cael ei werthu i gwmnïau sy’n ceisio’i osod yn erbyn ei ôl troed carbon,” eglurodd Geraint.
Mae safle Tynyberth yn rhagweld y bydd yn neilltuo mwy na 8,000 tunnell garbon dros gyfnod y cytundeb.
“Heb Cyswllt Ffermio fyddwn ni ddim yn ymwybodol o’r cynllun. Mae’n rhoi ffynhonnell incwm bwysig arall i’r busnes,” meddai Jack.
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