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Powys County Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
More than 150 cattle for sale at Powys border dispersal sale
More than 150 cattle from a Powys border dairy herd dispersal sale will be going under the hammer. Halls auctioneers at Shrewsbury Auction Centre will be holding a dispersal sale for a herd from near Welshpool tomorrow (May 20). The Dairy Herd from Groton, Marton, comprising 165 in-milk commercial Holstein and Brown Swiss cows and heifers is being told for T. A. Wainwright and Son on Tuesday, May 20 at 11.15am. Allen Wainwright's grandfather moved to Groton with his herd from Oswestry in 1921 and ran a mixed farm until 1966. Sue and John Wainright, Allen's parents, then took over and increased the herd to 100 using higher yielding genetics provided by Brian Challinor. When Brian retired, the family moved to Genus, and Sue and John semi-retired in 2000. This was when Allen took over the breeding policy and the Groton Herd has been on RMS with Genus ABS for the last 15 years. Jonny Dymond, Halls' dairy auctioneer and Shrewsbury Auction Centre manager, said the company is delighted to be selling the Groton Herd on behalf of the Wainwright family 'The Wainwrights began milk production at The Groton in 1921 and now the time has come to remove the daily workload that comes with dairy farming and look for an easier life in the arable sector,' he said. 'This is a modern, healthy and vibrant herd of cattle displaying supreme legs and feet and udder attachment. Sixty-nine have calved since February 1, with 33 due July to September and 46 due in the winter months. 'The Wainwrights have always been great supporters of Shrewsbury Auction Centre with their calves which are firm favourites among the buyers. With this in mind, the fact that all pregnancies are to British Blue of Angus is sure to appeal. 'I recommend this herd most highly for both traditional systems and indoor units where their potential is limitless.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Cows have been bred for very good legs, feet and udders with strength, not extreme stature, plenty of milk with kilos of fat and protein. The herd has used top proven and Genomic sires from Genus following the GMS mating programme using a sexed and beef strategy. Fed a TMR diet with cake in the parlour, cubicle housed and grazed in the summer, the herd is currently producing an average of 30kg of milk per day on an AYR calving pattern. The calving interval is 372 days and 305 day averages are 8,414kg of milk with 4.42% butterfat 3.32% protein and 120 cell count. The herd is vaccinated for BVD, IBR, LEPTO and Black Leg and was TB tested on March 31, having been TB free for more than four years. This auction will be followed by the dispersal of nearly 500 pedigree Holsteins from the Lilleshall Herd for S. M. Gilman and Partners, Abbey Farm, Lilleshall, Newport on Friday, May 30 at 10am.
The Guardian
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Vinterior: meet the boss who quit finance to set up a thriving vintage furniture site
Vinterior may not have any showrooms or shops, but the home of the founder and chief executive, Sandrine Zhang Ferron, has plenty of finds from the classy secondhand furnishings site – from quirky vases to a vintage drinks cabinet. Zhang Ferron, who was born in China but grew up in France, readily admits that she created the site for herself, ditching her well-paid job in finance, after struggling to find interesting pieces to furnish her London home after a move to the UK. 'I realised I don't want to do that for the rest of my life, you know, helping rich people getting richer,' she says, speaking to the Guardian at her home with her cat Misifu – a male British Blue – mooching around. 'I spent literally three months finding my yellow Poul Volther chair, which I eventually bought in a small shop in Hackney. 'You know, it can be fun, but also, if you've got to buy a lot, it can be like, I just don't have time for this.' After talking over the idea of creating an online marketplace for vintage furniture with a few well-placed friends, Zhang Ferron says 'I went to my boss and said OK, I'm gonna quit because I'm gonna learn to code.' One former colleague told her at the time: 'It's never going to work', and potential investors, most of whom were men, felt the idea was 'so niche' that the market would be tiny. But she went all in anyway. 'I wanted to be fully committed to it. I never really thought about it as doing a side hustle.' Zhang Ferron signed up for a three-month course with Makers Academy, the training scheme that promises to help 'the best people in Britain pivot into tech' as she felt that this would give her the skills, contacts and the necessary understanding to build a digital business – even if she was going to bring in more experienced tech experts later. She then began approaching people she knew who might want to sell expensive pieces of furniture they no longer wanted. 'It was a big flop,' she admits. After a rethink, she began trying to persuade London furniture dealers to list on her site, tempting them with exceptionally good terms with the aim of finding 200 must-have products to launch with. Having realised that most of the dealers were small businesses who didn't have the time, knowledge or interest to list things online, she offered to create posts for them for little or even no cost. A dozen signed up initially. The site's first sale in January 2016 was a pair of Belgian mid-century armchairs. It quickly became apparent that Zhang Ferron was not the only one looking for an easier way to buy vintage furniture. By the following year the site had hit £1m in sales and annual sales via the site hit more than £16.5m in the last year – up 15% in a tough market. Vinterior now has just over half a million pieces listed on it, the vast majority of which come from 2,600 professional dealers and the rest from design conscious individuals or sellers. More than 100,000 customers are signed up after the company invested in its first TV ads and it has gradually extended its ranges beyond the trend for mid-century classics to Victoriana and art deco, among others. Vinterior had a bit of luck securing half a million of extra funding from its investors in February 2020 – just before the Covid pandemic hit the UK. That cash was good to have in the back pocket as shoppers locked away their wallets during the first weeks of lockdown as they battled the challenges of a pandemic. 'The first few weeks of Covid was so scary. Nothing happened.' It was particularly tough for Zhang Ferron as she was about to go on maternity leave. But the team conserved limited cash, working part-time or taking furlough, and then sales started to take off. As physical shops across the country were forced to close for several months, and the manufacturing and deliveries of many large items such as furniture were blocked, secondhand goods that could be sourced online – and delivered quickly rather than being stuck on a container ship – were in demand. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The pandemic also shone a spotlight on how items were being transported and made in far away places, helping fuel interest in more sustainable choices that had already been kicked off by the rise of vintage clothing sites such as Depop and Vinted. 'Covid was definitely an accelerator,' Zhang Ferron says, helping to attract new shoppers and an additional £8m in funding in 2021. It sparked a shift in mindset so that buying secondhand became 'more of a norm,' she says. 'Obviously, gen Z like the idea of resale and most people are more open to it. It doesn't feel like it is cheap.' That rise in demand came with its own challenges. Like many other online specialists, Vinterior believed the coronavirus pandemic had kicked off a complete change in consumer behaviour and shoppers would not return to physical shops in quite the same way. When the inevitable pause in growth came as the pandemic subsided, Zhang Ferron realised the company had 'made some bad decisions' but it was lucky that it had been careful about spending. There was some painful adjustment in the wider market, with the online furniture seller and others collapsing, but Vinterior continued to expand after a brief lull, despite wider problems in furniture retail amid a lacklustre housing market and a squeeze on disposable income. Sales are set to rise by a fifth this year. The uncertain geopolitical environment could be a challenge as shoppers rein in spending. However, Zhang Ferron says the US president Donald Trump's tariff war is not necessarily all bad news. 'We could see this shift making our platform even more attractive to premium UK and EU dealers who currently sell a lot to US customers and may now seek to diversify due to increased barriers,' she says. To many of Zhang Ferron's customers, finding the right piece is an emotional more than a financial call and they still feel they are making savings despite some eye-watering prices. Paying more than £2,000 for a sought-after Togo Ligne Roset sofa on Vinterior can still be more than a third cheaper than a new one and it can be delivered right away. She argues that vintage pieces can also hold their value more than new items – something that buyers take into account. Zhang Ferron can also attest to years of enjoyment. 'The yellow Poul Volther chair that sparked the idea for Vinterior is still one of my most treasured pieces,' she says. And that sceptical former colleague? His wife apparently refurnished their home with pieces from Vinterior..
Western Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Award on offer to Pembrokeshire's progressive farmers
If you farm in Pembrokeshire and can demonstrate your farm's use of the latest technological methods to promote progressive, sustainable agriculture then Tim Johns, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society's President, said, 'We are looking for local Pembrokeshire farmers, under the age of 45, who can demonstrate their farm's use of the latest technological methods to promote progressive, sustainable agriculture. "They also need to show consideration for the environment and habitat sensitivity on their farm as well as present an aesthetically pleasing example of farming in the county. The competition welcomes all those in the livestock and arable sectors to enter.' Don't miss our next edition of Pembrokeshire Farmer, available free inside the Western Telegraph on April 30 Last year's winners of the Award were Andrew and Jane Phillips of Windsor Farm, Lamphey. They farm 1,100 acres, with 3,000 breeding sheep and lambs. A herd of British Blue cross Limousin suckler cows sired by a Limousin bull and all calves are sold as weaned. The arable side of the business includes 80 acres of winter and spring barley which is mostly used for stock consumption. The surplus is sold. They grow 150 acres of maize which is used in a Totally Mixed Ration (TMR) for their sheep. Again, the surplus is sold to dairy farms. Some land is rented out for growing potatoes and leeks. The autumn season sees the general public invited in to buy some of the six acres of Pumpkins they grow for the Halloween market. Besides this, they are also involved with the holiday business by renting out two shepherd's huts for visitors. Baron John Fredrick De Rutzen was President of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society in 1936 and the Baron de Rutzen Trophy was produced in his memory. The third Baron served in the Welsh Guards and tragically died, aged 36, in 1944. This year's entrants must be fully practising farmers within the county of Pembrokeshire and were under the age of 45 years on 1 January 2025. Entries can either be by nomination or direct application online on the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society website. Click here to apply. The closing date for nominations and applications is noon on Monday, 30 June 2025.
Western Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Baron de Rutzen Award: Pembrokeshire farmers urged to apply
The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society is on the lookout for the county's most progressive farmers who can demonstrate their use of the latest technological methods to promote sustainable agriculture. Tim Johns, president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, said: "We are looking for local Pembrokeshire farmers, under the age of 45, who can demonstrate their farm's use of the latest technological methods to promote progressive, sustainable agriculture. "They also need to show consideration for the environment and habitat sensitivity on their farm as well as present an aesthetically pleasing example of farming in the county. "The competition welcomes all those in the livestock and arable sectors to enter." Last year, the award was won by Andrew and Jane Phillips of Windsor Farm, Lamphey. The couple farm 1,100 acres, with 3,000 breeding sheep and lambs. They also have a herd of British Blue cross Limousin suckler cows sired by a Limousin bull, and all calves are sold as weaned. The arable side of their business includes 80 acres of winter and spring barley, mostly used for stock consumption, with the surplus sold. They grow 150 acres of maize, used in a Totally Mixed Ration (TMR) for their sheep, with the surplus sold to dairy farms. The Baron de Rutzen Trophy was created in memory of Baron John Fredrick De Rutzen, who was president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society in 1936. The third baron served in the Welsh Guards and died, aged 36, in 1944. This year's entrants must be fully practising farmers within Pembrokeshire and under the age of 45 years on January 1, 2025. Entries can either be by nomination or direct application online on the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society website. The closing date for nominations and applications is noon on Monday, June 30, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society website.
BBC News
19-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cattle to be released on Worcester meadows this Easter
A herd of cattle is to be released on a city meadow this Easter Monday as part of a conservation animals are given free reign on Ronkswood Hill Meadows in Worcester each year to help preserve the local City Council described it as "a natural and cost-effective way" of keeping the grass short, which will allow the wildflowers in the area to get enough authority is asking dog walkers to keep their animals on leads when the cattle are nearby. The herd of about 20 cattle will consist of breeds including British Blue, Hereford Cross and Angus council said they will help the wildflowers found on the meadows, such as black knapweed, cowslips and bird's-foot trefoil, to added that other benefits would include an increase in the number of butterflies, and improvements to the natural soil environment. Chewing the cud The council's green space manager, Warwick Neale, said: "The cattle will graze at Ronkswood Hill Meadows for around six months to manage the grassland, protecting the landscape and promoting good conditions for wildflowers and associated wildlife to thrive."This also maintains some of the traditional benefits of natural stewardship of the land."Signs have been posted on Newtown Road and Tolladine Road to warn people - especially those with dogs - to take extra care."The sudden reappearance of cattle may take a few people by surprise," added Mr Neale, "but the animals will be too busy chewing the cud to take notice of any passers-by." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
