Farming Connect announces Agri Academy Class of 2024

The names of this year’s intake selected to take part in the Agri Academy 2024 have been announced.

The successful candidates will meet for the first time at a reception at the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday 23 July.

Exactly 300 alumni have completed the Agri Academy since the first cohort was recruited in 2012. Demand for the much sought after spaces has grown year on year and this year’s recruitment process was exceptionally competitive with a record number of candidates. Previous alumni have credited the Agri Academy for forging invaluable friendships and business connections that lay the foundations for a network of support and knowledge that can be tapped into for years to come.

The Agri Academy provides an action-packed programme of training, mentoring, support and guidance over 3 intense residential sessions and including overseas study visits and has 2 distinct elements.

Agri Academy – for individuals over 21 and aimed at supporting and inspiring the next generation of farming entrepreneurs and trailblazers in Wales.

Junior Academy – aimed at supporting young people aged between 16 and 21 years who hope to carve out a career or set up a business in the food or farming industries.

Later this year, candidates selected for the Agri Academy programme will undertake an overseas study visit to Ontario, Canada while the Junior Academy candidates will be visiting Norway.

One of the candidates selected this year is Emyr Wyn Owen, who manages the day-to-day operations of Rhug Estate’s organic farm near Corwen, which involves a diverse range of livestock enterprises.

Emyr is a strong believer in peer-to-peer learning and is hoping that the Agri Academy will spark ideas and provide experiences that will enable him to return to the business with a fresh mindset and enthusiasm to take on the next set of challenges and opportunities.

Another participant is Dylan Wyn Jones, a farmer’s son who has set up a Hobbit House hospitality business to add value to the family’s Sheep and Beef farm near Mallwyd, Machynlleth.

He is looking forward to learning about different agricultural systems that will help him develop new approaches to his current business.

“The experience will be an opportunity to make new connections in the agricultural sector and to share ideas and learn from them.”

Selected for the Junior Academy, Lisa Jenkins from Llanybydder looks forward to broaden her network with like-minded young Welsh farmers to address the challenges facing the industry as well as to learn more about different farming systems across the country and further afield.

She’s a fourth-generation farmer who is currently working on the family beef, sheep and dairy farm as well as working part time at another neighbouring dairy farm.

Another candidate selected for this year’s Junior Academy is Emma Corfield who, having last year completed her A-levels in Biology, Maths and Business, has returned home to work alongside her father on the mixed beef, sheep and arable family farm near Newtown.

Emma is passionate about educating the public on the role of farmers and promoting Welsh produce. She is hoping that the experiences the Agri Academy will provide, through media and communication training will give her the skills and confidence to pursue these goals.