Each of the winners and nominees for the Lantra Cymru Awards 2023 has been congratulated by Welsh Government Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths.

The Minister said: “Congratulations to everyone who has been recognised within either the Farming Connect or other categories in this year’s prestigious Lantra Cymru Awards, which is now in its 29th year.

“The Awards recognise the lifelong learning achievements of the many who, through their significant skills and abilities, contribute not only to agriculture, horticulture and forestry but to the wider rural agenda in Wales, to our rural economy and to the communities where they live and work.

“Each nominee’s clear commitment to continuous professional development and achievements within the environmental and land-based sectors, is doing so much to maintain professional, modern standards within our industry.

“They are making a significant contribution, not only within your own particular area of working, but to the sustainability and modernisation of Welsh agriculture long term.”

This year’s awards, announced at a celebratory event held in the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells on January 18, provided an opportunity for all those in the Welsh agricultural industry to pay tribute to the achievements of the students and trainees nominated.

Local winners and nominees include:

Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognises an individual who has made an ‘outstanding and significant’ contribution to Welsh agriculture.

Winner: Peter Rees, FRAgS Llandovery.

The judging panel were unanimous in agreeing that Peter Rees, a former college lecturer and enormously popular leading figurehead within Wales’ land-based and dairy sectors, is an outstanding and very deserving winner of this year’s Lantra Lifetime Achievement Award.

They paid tribute to his outstanding record of educating generations of young people working in the rural sectors, for his work in developing Gelli Aur into a centre of excellence for the dairy industry in Wales and for his ongoing work with Lantra Wales, which he chaired for eight years; Farming Connect, where he served on the Strategic Advisory Board and training sub-group; and the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

Brought up on a large farm near Llandovery, Mr Rees remains closely involved in his family’s dairy partnership as well as their touring caravan and tourism enterprise. A Nuffield Farming scholar, Mr Rees’ contribution to education and technology transfer to the Welsh dairy sector was recognised with the award of a Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS).

Farming Connect Farm Innovator Award.

Winner: Tony Davies, Rhayader.

Tony is a fifth-generation organic tenant farmer in the Elan Valley, with a long-standing passion for farming sustainably and reducing carbon emissions at his ‘off grid’ agriculture business.

He first discovered Biochar when looking for a sustainable method of using Molinia grass which not only impacts on species diversity and habitat but also decreases the agricultural productivity of land.

Tony attended an International Biochar Institute conference in Finland through Farming Connect’s Management Exchange Programme and was involved with a Farming Connect European Innovation Project (EIP Wales) trialling compost and wool added to Biochar. He has created new employment opportunities for collecting grass and branches for processing into Biochar, manages sales from a website, manufactures kilns locally with products selling to councils, estates, gardeners and farmers throughout the UK. The judges said Tony’s commitment to innovative, sustainable farming makes him an outstanding and well-deserved winner of this year’s Farm Innovator Award.

Farming Connect Farm Innovator Award.

Runner-up: Brigitte Rowlands, Pontardawe.

Brigitte grew up on a beef and sheep farm and started farming independently aged 23 as a tenant farmer in the Swansea Valley. Today, this busy mum of three farms alongside her partner. She is a county councillor and works as an administrator for a local company that provides training and support for the drone industry.

Having honed her skills on book-keeping, VAT and ‘making tax digital’ through Farming Connect business training, Brigitte is responsible for all the farm’s book-keeping as well as managing livestock. Brigitte soon realised the potential of utilising drone technology within farming. Now a qualified drone pilot, she is currently developing content for her own training course. The judges said Brigitte’s ability to ‘think outside the box’, spot a new opportunity and invest time in skills that enable her to create a new income source makes her a worthy runner-up for the Farm Innovator Award.

Farming Connect Learner of the Year 40 years and under.

Winner: Richard Wilding, Presteigne.

Richard returned to full-time sheep farming in his mid 20s, having worked in a government agency for six years which he followed with an 18 month working trip to large-scale farms in Australia and New Zealand. He returned to Wales in time to find work during the lambing season of 2013, soon set up a contract shepherding business and established his own flock at the family farm where he now farms in partnership with his dad.

However, because he had not studied agriculture after school, Richard felt there were gaps in his skillset and set about redressing the balance through Farming Connect. The judges said that Richard’s clear thirst for learning and determination to develop additional skills in areas such as production costs, grassland and livestock management, conservation, woodland and carbon management, shows an outstanding commitment to personal development, making him a very worthy winner of this Learner of the Year award.

Farming Connect Learner of the Year 40 years and under.

Highly commended: Matthew Roderick, Brecon.

Matthew was brought up on a farm and is never more at home than when in the fields or amongst the trees. It’s actually the latter, rather than livestock farming, where he sees his future career prospects. He already has a full-time role he loves with a local silviculture company. Aware that he doesn’t have a relevant degree, Matthew is determined to augment the practical experience he gains from his job through Farming Connect accredited training courses.

Studying ‘Basic tree inspection’, ‘Medium tree training and inspection’, pesticides courses, chainsaw operation, grey squirrel training and First Aid are all areas of knowledge that he utilises not only in his job, but also at the family farm. The judges were all impressed by Matthew’s keenness to learn specialist skills that will support farmers wanting to become more knowledgeable about sustainable woodland management at this critical time when environmental matters are a key focus for all.

Farming Connect Learner of the Year 41 years and over.

Winner: Julie Davies, Clifford.

The judges found this a particularly strong category, with nominations all of a high calibre. They were unanimous in awarding Julie her winner award saying that her unwavering commitment to skills and training, both for her own personal development as well as that of the farm’s workforce was especially commendable. A Harper Adams University graduate, Julie has helped her husband set up a successful animal feed business ‘adding value to what we grow’ which is run alongside the arable, beef and sheep farm. Product development, developing accreditation and quality systems, marketing and business management are just part of her impressive skillset.

Julie’s dedicated attitude to personal development is outstanding and she is currently focused on a range of environmental courses as well as ‘people management’ training which she says are strengthening farm practices. The judges said Julie has consistently demonstrated ability, drive and exceptional forward planning skills, making her a deserving winner of this award.

Farming Connect Horticulture Award.

Joint winner: Marie Pope, Brecon.

Two years ago, Marie achieved her long-term ambition of establishing her own market garden having rented a small area of land from a local farmer. Alfie Dan’s is named after her grandfather, a keen horticulturalist who passed on to her his knowledge and love of growing vegetables.

Marie completed her City & Guilds Level 2 in horticulture at a local college and is now working towards her Royal Horticultural Society Level 2 Plant Growth, Propagation and Development course. She also taps into all available support from Farming Connect’s horticulture programme. Inspired by her early success, Marie has already taken on additional plots of land enabling her to increase production and the scale of her business, which now runs to four acres. She is also starting organic conversion. The judges said that Marie’s love of horticulture, and her determination to develop and grow her already successful enterprise makes her a worthy joint winner.