Mentoring support guides young entrant through potential pitfalls of new dairy enterprise

Mentoring support guides young entrant through potential pitfalls of new dairy enterprise

 

A young farmer has avoided potential pitfalls and costly mistakes since the family beef and sheep farm converted to dairy with guidance from a Farming Connect mentor.

 

Richard Downes was just 19 when he joined his parents, Terry and Jane, in their organic farming business at CilcertUchaf, near Tregaron.

 

To provide more regular income, they established a dairy herd and have now been producing milk from a herd of 90 pedigree Dairy Shorthorns and New Zealand Friesian crossbreds for 18 months.

 

Richard had some experience of dairying after spending three months working on a dairy farm but, as a new entrant, he was keen to take advantage of the support available through the Farming Connect Mentoring Programme.

 

The scheme allows farmers and foresters to receive guidance and advice from their peers on a wide range of topics.

 

Richard’s mentor was to be Eurig Jenkins, an established dairy farmer who farms less than four miles from CilcertUchaf.

 

Eurig has spent many hours with Richard at CilcertUchaf and has given guidance on everything from the siting of cow tracks and disease prevention to vaccination protocols and herd expansion.

 

“Eurig’s input has without doubt saved us time and money,’’ says 21-year-old Richard.

 

Both men run block calving systems and, while Richard’s is an autumn calving herd and Eurig is a spring milk producer, the principles are similar.

 

Richard says this has been beneficial. “We had our own ideas but Eurig had previously tried some of these in his own system and they hadn’t worked for him so thanks to his advice we didn’t have to make the same mistakes,’’ he says.

 

The whole family was involved in some of the discussion and this level of communication was beneficial, says Eurig.

 

“In a mentoring situation, if you communicate ideas to other members of the family it helps to bounce ideas and, for Richard, it meant he didn’t have to relay what we had discussed.’’

 

For Richard, it helped that he already knew his mentor. “I was more comfortable discussing the business with someone I knew, it was important for me to have that connection, but others might find that they can discuss things more openly with somebody they don’t already know.’’

 

His message to others considering applying to the Farming Connect Mentoring Programme is: “Give it a go, there is always something you can learn from someone else.

 

“It would definitely have been more of a struggle without Eurig’s input. Although the information is out there, I didn’t have to go and look for it, I could get the information I needed first hand and immediately.’’

 

Eurig, a former Farming Connect Demonstration Farmer who is mentoring three new entrants, says he is also gaining from the programme. “Over the years I have benefited from unofficial mentoring and I have enjoyed giving something back through the Farming Connect Mentoring Programme by helping younger farmers to develop.’’

 

Eurig is one of 50 farmers and foresters enrolled as Mentors for Farming Connect. The programme offers up to 3 days of fully funded mentoring for individuals looking for a second opinion​, a sounding board or simply support with day to day business.

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To select your mentor visit the Farming Connect website.

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Farming Connect are currently expanding its network​ of mentors so if you are a farmer or forester with experience in diversification, farm succession or health and safety this might be your chance to give something back to the industry, like Eurig did. Click here for more information on the role.

Cefnogaeth mentor yn arwain ffermwr ifanc trwy beryglon posib menter godro newydd

 

Mae ffermwr ifanc wedi osgoi peryglon posib a chamgymeriadaucostus ers i’r fferm bîff a defaid deuluol gael ei droi’n fferm laeth gydag arweiniad gan fentor Cyswllt Ffermio.

 

Roedd Richard Downes yn 19 oed pan ymunodd â’i rieni, Terry a Jane, yn eu busnes fferm organig yng NghilcertUchaf ger Tregaron.

 

Er mwyn darparu ffrwdincwm sy’n fwy cyson, aethantati i sefydlu buches laeth, ac maen nhw bellach wedi bod yn cynhyrchu llaeth o’r fuches  o 90 o wartheg byrgorn pedigri a gwartheg Friesian Seland Newydd croes ers 18 mis.

 

Roedd gan Richard rhywfaint o brofiad godro wedi iddo dreulio tri mis yn gweithio ar fferm laeth, ond fel newydd ddyfodiad, roedd yn awyddus i gymryd mantais o’r gefnogaeth sydd ar gael trwy Raglen Fentora Cyswllt Ffermio.

 

Mae’r Rhaglen yn galluogi ffermwyr a choedwigwyr i dderbyn arweiniad a chyngor gan gyfoedion ar amrywiaeth eang o bynciau.

 

Mentor Richard oedd Eurig Jenkins, ffermwr llaeth profiadol sydd â fferm laeth llai naphedairmilltir o GilcertUchaf.

 

Mae Eurig wedi treulio llawer o amser gyda Richard ar fferm CilcertUchaf ac wedi rhoi arweiniad iddo ar bopeth, o leolitraciau gwartheg a diogelurhagclefydau i brotocolbrechu ac ehangu’rfuches.

 

“Mae cyngor Eurig yn bendant wedi arbed amser ac arian i ni,” dywedodd Richard sy’n 21 oed.

 

Mae’r ddau’n defnyddio systemau lloia mewn bloc ac er mai buches lloia’n yr hydref sydd gan Richard ac Eurig yn gynhyrchwr llaeth y gwanwyn, mae’r egwyddorion yn debyg.

 

Dywedodd Richard fod hyn wedi bod yn fuddiol. “Roedd gennym ni ein syniadau ein hunain, ond roedd Eurig wedi arbrofi rhai o’r rheiny ar ei system ei hun a doedden nhw ddim wedi gweithio iddo, felly, diolch i’w gyngor, doedd dim angen i ni wneud yr un camgymeriadau,” dywedodd.

 

Roedd y teulu cyfan wedi cymryd rhan mewn rhywfaint o’r drafodaeth a dywedodd Eurig fod cyfathrebu ar y lefel hynny o fantais.

 

“Mewn sefyllfa mentora, mae cyfathrebu gydag aelodau eraill y teulu yn helpu gyda thrafod syniadau ac yn golygu nad oedd yn rhaid i Richard ail adrodd ein sgwrs.”

 

Roedd adnabod ei fentor yn gymorth i Richard. “Roeddwn i’n fwy parod i drafod y busnes gyda rhywun roeddwn i eisoes yn ei adnabod, ac roedd y cysylltiadyna’n bwysig i mi, ond efallai y byddai eraill yn ei gweld yn haws trafod yn agored gyda rhywun nad oedden nhw’n ei adnabod.”

 

Dyma’i gyngor i unrhyw un arall sy’n ystyried ymgeisio ar gyfer Rhaglen Fentora Cyswllt Ffermio: “Rhowch gynnig arni, mae yna wastadrhywbethallwch chi ei ddysgu gan rywun arall.

 

“Byddai wedi bod yn fwy o frwydr heb gyngor Eurig. Er bod y wybodaeth ar gael yn rhywle, doedd dim rhaid i mi fynd i chwilio amdano. Roeddwn i’n gallu cael y wybodaeth roeddwn ei angen yn syth ac yn uniongyrchol.”

 

Dywedodd Eurig, sy’n mentora tri newydd ddyfodiad a’i fferm wedi bod yn un o safleoedd arddangos Cyswllt Ffermio, ei fod ef hefyd yn elwa o’r rhaglen. “Dros y blynyddoedd rydw i wedi elwa o fentoraanswyddogol ac wedi mwynhau gwneud fy rhan innau trwy Raglen Fentora Cyswllt Ffermio trwy helpu ffermwyr ifanc i ddatblygu.”

 

Mae Eurig yn un o’r 50 o ffermwyr a choedwigwyr sydd wedi cofrestru fel Mentor gyda Cyswllt Ffermio. Mae’r rhaglen yn cynnig hyd at 3 diwrnod o fentora wedi’i ariannu’n llawn ar gyfer unigolion sy’n edrych am farnrhywun arall, rhywun i wrando neu gefnogaeth gyda busnes dydd i ddydd.

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Er mwyn dewis eich mentor ewch i wefan Cyswllt Ffermio.

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Mae Cyswllt Ffermio yn ehangu’r rhwydwaith o fentoriaid ar hyn o bryd felly os ydych chi’n ffermwr neu’n goedwigwr gyda phrofiad mewn arallgyfeirio, olyniaeth fferm neu iechyd a diogelwch, dyma eich cyfle i wneud eich rhan dros y diwydiant fel y gwnaethEurig. Cliciwch yma am fwy o wybodaeth.