CATCH up with the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the finalists in the second series of ‘Our Dream Farm’, Channel 4’s popular tv programme, who are currently on our screens at 7pm on Saturday evenings; the ‘dream farm’ is in Eryri – formerly known as Snowdonia – and Farming Connect has been part of the process!  

You can watch the final group of seven, ultra-hopeful candidates – some filmed with supportive better halves or relatives – as they are put through their farming paces in the second series of ‘Our Dream Farm’.  Presented by popular tv personality, farmer and countryside expert Matt Baker, this year’s ‘dream farm’ with its mix of mountain pasture, woodlands and lowland is in one of the most jaw-droppingly spectacular locations in Wales. 

Acknowledged as ‘the opportunity of a lifetime’, a 15 year-long tenancy of the 248-hectare farm, which includes a beautifully refurbished house and numerous outbuildings owned and managed by National Trust Wales, is the amazing prize up for grabs. 

Farming Connect became part of the selection process when one of its mentors and Agrisgôp Leaders, Caroline Dawson, was invited to mentor and tutor the finalists in an on-farm workshop she designed and led.  Caroline, a specialist diversification and agri-food expert from North Wales, began her day with an ice-breaker activity.

“I asked each member of the group to sketch a picture of themselves and list their strengths.

“There were lots of incredulous laughs at first but they all quickly realised the real challenge had started, because it’s not easy to describe yourself in a way that demonstrates what makes you more knowledgeable, more focused, more tenacious and more able – in other words the best tenant – to manage this amazing farm,” said Caroline. 

Throughout the duration of Caroline’s day-long workshop, which took place in one of the farm’s specially re-purposed ‘picture perfect’ barns, eagle-eyed judges Giles Hunt, Land and Estates Director for the National Trust and Trystan Edwards, General Manager for Eryri National Trust Cymru joined Matt Baker to observe the whole process as Caroline put the final seven – whittled down from the original 11 applicants – through a series of exercises. 

National Trust Cymru purchased this farm in 2012, following a successful public appeal.  Until 2020 they ran it in partnership with Wales YFC, after which it was managed by five YFC scholars through subsequent shorter-term tenancies.  The conservation charity now wants to hand over the reins longer term, giving the new tenants sufficient time to combine sustainable land management and conservation principles with developing a resilient, profitable, diversified farm business.  In addition to managing the farm’s sheep flocks, they will need to implement a new business plan which capitalises on the high number of tourists who visit Eryri each year.  

The steep surrounding land is insufficiently productive for large stock numbers but there is significant potential to diversify.  Caroline, an experienced facilitator, devised activities that required each contestant to explain how they planned to capitalise on the opportunities to attract, accommodate and manage revenue-earning activities for the nature lovers, walkers, climbers, cyclists and water-sports enthusiasts who flock to the area every year. Each candidate had to demonstrate their vision, showing they had the confidence and ability to produce and implement the best business plan to preserve the heritage of the farm with its unique biodiversity, while safeguarding its long-term viability through tourism.

Each programme in the current series will feature various challenges and practical exercises with applicants eliminated one at a time until the names of the winner are revealed in the final episode of Series 2.

“Tenancies of this calibre are extremely rare. I feel hugely privileged to have met each of the brilliant candidates and played some small part in a process that will lead to a life-changing opportunity for the ultimate winner or winners,” said Caroline.

REGISTERED individuals can now access over 130 training courses subsidised by up to 80%. These short courses, offered by accredited training providers, cover a diverse range of topics, categorised under business, land, land – machinery and equipment and livestock.

One of the courses added to the programme is International Certificate for Digital Literacy (ICDL) – Extra, which provides training in word processing including document creation, editing, formatting and mail merge. The course also focuses on the use of spreadsheets, presentations and improving productivity by teaching participants how to select the most efficient and cost-effective software for various tasks.

Another new course is Lantra Professional Tree Inspection which equips experienced woodland focused participants with the skills to conduct thorough tree inspections, identifying defects and recommending actions within legal and risk management frameworks. This training course helps create a reliable and trustworthy system for inspecting trees, where the decisions made can be explained and justified.

Individuals will gain advanced HACCP knowledge for food manufacturing through the Level 3 Award in HACCP for Food Manufacturing course. The course covers the essential steps of developing, implementing, and verifying HACCP-based procedures, focusing on hazard identification and control throughout the food production process.

The Soil Science (IBERS) course is designed to explore the formation, properties, and functions of soils, emphasising their critical role in sustainable food production. Participants will investigate how human activities impact soil health and learn to apply sustainable management techniques to address current and future food supply challenges. 

Another course now offered is Sustainable Supply Systems (IBERS) that focuses on collaborative strategies within food supply chains to enhance sustainability and security. It examines challenges, innovative technologies while teaching participants to evaluate sustainability approaches and the importance of information and relationship management.

For those of you that are interested in wool handling, two training providers can offer this course – British Wool and Elite Wool Industry Training UK. British Wool will run a one-day practical course for beginners to competition level while Elite Wool Industry Training UK will run a two-day practical course for all ability levels. The courses will provide comprehensive training in fleece handling, sorting, preparation, and storage to ensure quality and market readiness.

Other courses also on offer are Emergency First Aid at Work (+F) and Livestock Production Science. For more information on these new training courses visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/business/skills-and-training/training-courses or contact your Local Development Officer, or the Farming Connect Service Centre on 03456 000 813.

RURAL communities in Wales have been left disappointed this week after the UK Labour Government confirmed that it has no plans to expand the Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme to any new areas, including those in Wales.

The scheme, which provides a 5p-per-litre discount at the pump, currently applies to 21 remote regions across the UK—mainly in Scotland and parts of England. No areas in Wales are currently covered, despite widespread calls for support in rural counties where residents face disproportionately high fuel costs and limited public transport.

In a letter to Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray MP confirmed that the Government would maintain existing eligibility criteria, with “no plans to make changes to the areas covered by the scheme.” He cited the original intent of the scheme, which targets areas with high pump prices, logistical challenges in fuel delivery, and low retail volumes that prevent bulk discounting.

The decision comes despite repeated calls from campaigners and politicians to address what they say is an ongoing disparity. Research shows that rural residents spend, on average, £800 more per year on fuel compared to their urban counterparts.

David Chadwick, who represents Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, has been vocal on the issue, questioning ministers and campaigning for areas like Powys, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Gwynedd to be included in the scheme. The Liberal Democrats made extending the fuel relief scheme a key part of their rural strategy at the last general election.

Commenting on the decision, Chadwick said: “People in rural areas have been clobbered by the cost-of-living crisis. Now the new UK Labour administration is continuing the legacy of neglect of rural areas and Wales that we saw under the Conservatives.
“By refusing to extend the scheme to Wales, they are showing they simply don’t care about the struggles of rural communities.”

Chadwick also criticised the Government’s inaction on fuel pricing transparency, calling for a UK-wide “Pumpwatch” scheme to tackle what he described as “price gouging” in rural filling stations. A similar scheme in Northern Ireland—where fuel is consistently the cheapest in the UK—has shown promising results.

The Treasury responded that it has extended the existing 5p fuel duty cut for another year, saving the average driver £59 in 2025/26, and is investing £500 million in additional road maintenance funding to fix millions of potholes.

But critics argue that these measures fall short for communities where reliance on personal vehicles is unavoidable.
“The issue isn’t just tax rates—it’s fairness,” Chadwick added. “Labour must do better and stop treating Wales as an afterthought compared to Scotland and England.”