Farming Connect Welcomes the New Agri Academy Class of 2025
The 24 successful candidates will have their first meeting at a reception at the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday 22 July.
The Agri Academy has now over 300 alumni since it was first launched in 2012. It provides a programme of training, mentoring, support, and guidance through three intense residential sessions and an overseas study visit, with two specific 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, the Agri Academy's chosen candidates will travel to Japan for their overseas study and the Junior Academy candidates will visit Norway.
Among this year's successful candidates is Siwan Roberts who grew up on her family's 350-acre beef and sheep farm in Mid Wales.
Siwan helps manage the farm's growing tourism venture that currently includes three glamping pods with further plans to convert three barns into holiday lets. In recent years, the family introduced Wagyu cattle, initially for their own consumption but the venture is now set to expand, supplying home-reared beef to visitors too.
She said:
'Visiting other farm businesses in the UK and especially meeting Wagyu beef producers in Japan, will introduce me to new networks, inspire me and encourage me to develop our own Wagyu enterprise.'
Another candidate selected this year is Ioan Humphreys. He is known as 'That Welsh Farmer' on Instagram and has over 50,000 followers. Aged 32, Ioan shares a lot of what he gets up to at his thriving mixed enterprise in Carno, Powys managing 800 ewes, 25 beef cattle, and more recently, poultry.
Ioan is currently investing in a 150kW solar panel installation to reduce costs and enhance sustainability. He is also preparing a planning application for a farm shop and café on-site to further diversify the business.
He thinks that the Agri Academy will enable him to introduce new ideas and a fresh perspective on the way they run the business.
Selected for the Junior Academy, Gwenllian Davies from Pen Llŷn is currently studying her first year Level 3 Agriculture at Coleg Glynllifon.
Raised on her family's dairy farm, where around 340 autumn-calving cows are milked daily, and through work placements on other dairy farms, she has developed strong practical skills and a deep-rooted understanding of animal care and farm operations.
Gwenllian is eager to develop new skills and explore future career opportunities.
Also selected for the Junior Academy is Dafydd Davies who lives on an upland beef and sheep farm near Llanwrtyd Wells. He is currently studying Land-based Engineering Level 3 at Coleg Sir Gar Gelli Aur campus, his long-term aim is to combine farming with design and engineering activities.
'I'm interested in agricultural innovation and would love the chance to travel overseas so visiting Norway, renowned for its efficient farming systems, will be a highlight of the Agri Academy for me,' he said.
'This is the chance of a lifetime and I can't wait to meet new friends, swap ideas and to learn from the experts I meet.'
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