The future of on-farm innovation in Wales was highlighted last week when Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd, visited Fferm Ty’n Ddôl, Llangernyw, Conwy, to mark the launch of the new Farming Connect Our Farms Network.
Hosted by Elgan and Elena Davies, Ty’n Ddôl is one of 19 newly selected demonstration farms that will form the core of the Our Farms Network, alongside five other dairy farms, 12 beef and sheep farms, and one arable farm located across Wales. The farms will work with Farming Connect over the next three years to develop and deliver practical on-farm trials designed to improve productivity, profitability and environmental resilience.
A family-run dairy enterprise, Ty’n Ddôl demonstrates what can be achieved through ambition, entrepreneurship and innovation within Welsh agriculture. The farm operates a simple, low-cost, grass-based system with 300 spring-calving and 20 summer-calving cows. Since returning to Elena’s family farm, the couple have invested significantly in growing the business, including purchasing neighbouring land, constructing a rotary milking parlour, installing cow tracks, and improving water and slurry storage infrastructure.
As part of the Our Farms Network, the business will focus on improving labour efficiency, work organisation, herd genetics and genomic testing, winter milking routines, and the use of technology to improve farm performance and work-life balance. Their long-term objectives include improving herd fertility and productivity, increasing grass utilization, and strengthening the financial resilience of the business.
Elgan and Elena Davies said:
“We’re delighted to be part of the new Our Farms Network. Over the years, we’ve invested heavily in the business, and we want to ensure we’re making the very most of those investments.
“Joining the network gives us access to a wider range of expertise, information and support that will help us identify opportunities to improve profitability, animal health and overall farm performance. It will also allow us to challenge our thinking and learn from specialists and other farmers.
“One of our key goals is to create a business that is productive and profitable but also gives us more time away from the farm and a better work-life balance. We hope the work we undertake through the network will help us achieve that, while also sharing practical lessons that other dairy farmers can use on their own farms.”
The Our Farms Network builds on more than a decade of successful demonstration farm activity coordinated through Farming Connect. Demonstration farms play a vital role in bridging the gap between scientific research and practical farming by testing new approaches under commercial farming conditions and sharing the results with the wider industry. Farmers selected to join the network will undertake robust on-farm trials aligned with the Sustainable Land Management Framework and the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
Eirwen Williams, Director of Delivery at Mentera, said:
“The Our Farms Network is at the heart of Farming Connect’s knowledge transfer programme. These farms are chosen because they are ambitious, forward-thinking businesses willing to test new ideas and openly share what they learn with others.
“The network creates a valuable link between farmers, researchers, advisers and industry specialists, ensuring that innovation is tested under real farming conditions and translated into practical outcomes that can be adopted by businesses across Wales.
“We are particularly pleased that farms such as Ty’n Ddôl are willing to open their gates and share both their successes and challenges, helping fellow farmers make informed decisions that can improve business resilience, profitability and sustainability.”
During the visit, Llyr Gruffydd met with the Davies family to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing Welsh dairy farmers and learnt more about the planned trial work that will be undertaken as part of the programme.
Speaking following the visit, Llyr Gruffydd, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, said:
“Ty’n Ddôl is a strong example of the confidence and ambition we see across Welsh farming. Elgan and Elena are not only investing in the future of their own business but are also willing to share their experience for the benefit of others.
“That spirit of collaboration is exactly what the Our Farms Network is about. By bringing farmers together to test ideas, learn from evidence, and share practical results, we can support a more resilient and sustainable future for agriculture in Wales.”
The wider Our Farms Network will be officially launched at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair, where all demonstration farms and their focus areas will be showcased. Farmers will then have opportunities to engage with the network through on-farm events when each demonstration farm will also host an Our Farms Farm Walk during the programme to share the findings and practical outcomes from their on-farm trials with the wider industry.
