Farming

Feeling the love for Love Lamb Week

Published

4 years ago

September 3, 2020

WITH retail data showing increasing numbers of shoppers buying fresh lamb, the industry united in a programme of promotion across the UK during ‘Love Lamb Week’ on 1-7 September.

2020 was the week-long initiative’s sixth anniversary. Once again, it received support from Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), AHDB in England, QMS in Scotland, and LMC in Northern Ireland, as well as the National Sheep Association (NSA), Red Tractor and farming unions.

Love Lamb Week was set up in 2015 by the late Rachel Lumley, a passionate Cumbrian sheep farmer who wanted lamb to get the attention it deserves.

Through her leadership, as well as support from farmers and industry bodies, Love Lamb Week has caught the attention of top chefs as well as national press and broadcast media.

This year’s campaign introduced the second phase of the successful joint HCC, QMS and AHDB ‘Make it Lamb’ campaign, as well as running concurrently with HCC’s seasonal promotion of the PGI Welsh Lamb brand, which kicked off on August 1.

The campaign focused on encouraging people to try new recipes at home, as well as emphasising the sustainable and low-intensity ways in which home-produced lamb is farmed.
The campaign aimed to build on recent retail success for lamb.

Figures for the 12-week period covering May, June and early July showed that consumer spending on lamb in Britain was £139.6 million, up 19.2% on the same period last year. The data also showed a substantial increase in families either coming back to lamb or purchasing lamb for the first time.

HCC produced a new range of resources to help people get involved in Love Lamb Week.

New recipe booklets are available from independent butchers which are members of HCC’s Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef Butchers’ Club, and social media resources are available to share.

Also, more of HCC’s popular red meat recipe videos will be released. These have been produced by leading chefs from their own kitchens, and have so far racked up over a million views on Facebook alone.

HCC Marketing Manager Rhys Llywelyn said, “Campaigns to promote lamb at retail, to help offset the loss of the eating out market, have been very successful this year, with consumers trying out new recipes helping to drive a major increase in sales.

“As well as continuing our own effective marketing of PGI Welsh Lamb, we’re also working together with our partners across the industry and with retailers large and small to build on this success.

“Love Lamb Week marks another high-point in this campaign, when we get a chance to emphasise lamb’s versatility, and its positive credentials in terms of sustainability and traceability. Customers can be assured that the Welsh Lamb that’s plentiful in shops at this time of year is traceable right back to the farm in Wales where it was reared.”

Janet Finch-Saunders MS – the Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs – welcomed this year’s “Love Lamb Week” saying: “The word ‘iconic’ is used a lot, but Welsh Lamb – which has Protected Geographical Indication status – is an iconic Welsh product, is different and has special characteristics that are unique to Wales and cannot be replicated anywhere else.

“It a combination of our wonderful landscape, variable weather, and fantastic farmers that produce such good meat.

“It’s a fantastic product, is sustainable, contributes to the estimated £690 million* red-meat industry in Wales as well as supporting significantly the estimated 220,000 farming jobs in Wales, and above all is delicious, nutritious, and very versatile.”

Mrs Finch-Saunders urged people across Wales to visit their local butcher for Welsh Lamb, recipes, and cooking tips not just during Love Lamb Week, but also all year round.

Farming

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society in search for county’s top progressive farmers

Published

2 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

Tom Sinclair

IF you farm in Pembrokeshire and can demonstrate your farm’s use of the latest technological methods to promote progressive, sustainable agriculture then the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society encourage you to enter the prestigious Baron de Rutzen Award.

Adam Thorne, Pembrokeshire County Show 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 livestock and arable sectors to take part.”

Last year’s winners of the Award were Mark and Caroline Davies of Little Newcastle, Haverfordwest. They milk 230 pedigree Holsteins through a fully automated system. They rear their own replacements and also have a small beef enterprise. The farm is all grassland and they follow a strict reseeding and liming policy to optimise the yield from their multi-cut silage system. The couple place significant emphasis on animal health, husbandry and breeding to maximise the efficiency of their system.

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 2024. Entries can either be by nomination or direct application online on the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society website. Click here to apply: Baron de Rutzen Award | Pembrokeshire County Show | Pembs Agricultural Society (pembsshow.org)

The closing date for nominations and applications is at noon on Wednesday, 29 May 2024.

Farming

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society elect new president

Published

3 weeks ago

April 1, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ARABLE and beef farmer, Adam Thorne, has been unanimously elected to become the new President of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society for the year ahead. Adam is the third generation of his family to hold the position.

During the Annual General Meeting of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, held last week on the Pembrokeshire Showground, Mr Tim John and his wife Margaret John were also voted in as Presidents elect.

Adam Thorne has had a long association with Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society. After visiting the show as a toddler, then helping show the family’s pedigree Herefords, his uncle got him into helping him with stewarding in his early teens. From there he progressed to being a Steward with his own section, Commercial Cattle, and then also the Butcher’s Lambs section.

From stewarding, Adam became involved with committee work, starting as an Executive and then on to the former Finance and General Purposes Committee. He has been Chairman of the Estates Committee for 12 years and is now a Board member and a Trustee.

Adam said, “I am proud of my long association with Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society. I am the third generation to now be President, following my late grandfather, Walter Thorne, my father, Robert Thorne and more recently my uncle, George Thorne. I am looking forward to my year in the prestigious position.”

Away from his work with the society, Adam runs the family’s arable and beef farm in Robeston West, Milford Haven. He has been heavily involved with Tiers Cross YFC from an early age, having been Club Secretary twice and Chairman. He has also sat on Pembrokeshire County YFC Committees and the Wales YFC Rural Affairs Committee.

The 2024 Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society officeholders, announced at the AGM, include Miss Ffion Edwards who was awarded the role of Ambassador at last year’s show. Ffion, a nurse from Maenclochog, has enjoyed many years of attending the county show and believes that there are so many good elements to it. Ffion has been a member of Llysyfran YFC for 15 years and enjoys every aspect of young farmers – trying new experiences, competing and travelling to name a few. Mrs Nicola Owen was also elected as the Honorary Treasurer.

Brian Jones, the outgoing Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society President, took the opportunity to thank everyone who had helped and supported him throughout his presidency. During his year as President, Brian and his wife Helen, raised a tremendous amount of money for various charities including the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, RABI, Tir Dewi and the DPJ Foundation. Brian also gave his assurances that Castell Howell will continue to sponsor the Food Hall for future years.

Pembrokeshire County Show, the largest county agricultural show in Wales, will be held over two days again this summer on 14 and 15 August. Everyone is invited to attend the celebration of rural life in the county.

Pictured (left to right): Ffion Edwards the Ambassador for 2024; Adam Thorne, President; Margaret and Tim John, the Presidents Elect.

Farming

£1,000 bursary award available to Pembrokeshire agricultural students

Published

1 month ago

March 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE Agricultural Society’s £1,000 Bursary Award is now open for applications from students studying agriculture, veterinary science, agricultural engineering, food technology, forestry or other subjects allied to agriculture.

The Student Bursary Award 2024 is available to students, from Pembrokeshire, who are currently studying or have been accepted to start their studies. They can apply for this financial support to assist with their chosen college or career path.

Last year’s winner of the award was Lottie Wilson from Hayscastle. Lottie was studying agriculture at the University of Nottingham when she applied for the bursary. When she is at home she is a general dairy farm worker as well as a lambing hand and a calving beef herd assistant. In 2021 she was the top agriculture student at Hartpury College.

Robert James, Chairman of the Society’s Bursary Committee said, “I would urge all Pembrokeshire students who study subjects that are clearly aligned to agriculture to apply for this bursary as it won’t only assist with your studies but will also give you great experiences such as undertaking an interview which is a key employment skill. It will also assist in your future career within the agriculture industry.”

“A panel of independent judges will draw up a short list of candidates who will be interviewed and the winning candidate will be asked to give a short presentation at a future meeting of the society’s show council.

“The standard of applications has always been exceptional which gives a lot of heart that there are a lot of very talented young people in our community. We are very much looking forward to receiving applications for this year’s bursary and hearing from the younger generation.”

Qualifying students must not have won the student bursary on a previous occasion, the applicant must be studying or has been accepted to study agriculture or allied subjects at a UK college or university at A-Level or higher and the applicant’s family home must be in Pembrokeshire.

The bursary is tax free and will be awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the panel of judges, has submitted the best dissertation on how the bursary will assist them to complete their course of study.

Further details and the entry form can be found online: Student Bursary Award | Pembrokeshire County Show | Pembs Agricultural Society (pembsshow.org) or by calling the show office: 01437 764331. The closing date for applications is noon on Monday, 1 July 2024.