THE RIPPLE EFFET of positive change is being experienced on farms and other
 agri-businesses across Wales thanks to the Farming Connect Mentoring programme.

Farmers like Dai Evershed, who benefitted from the guidance and expertise of a friend and colleague when he returned to the family farming business in Ceredigion in 2022, are “paying it forward’’ as a mentor.

For his mentees, including Powys sheep farmer Aled Haynes, the mentoring relationship has armed them with the knowledge and confidence to move forward with new aspects of their own businesses.

It was Dai’s experience of utilising smart sensor technology at Wallog, the 194-hectare holding near Clarach which he farms with his father, Jack, that brought the two men together.

Dai uses LoRaWAN technology to monitor water supply and use across the farm, and to detect and stop leaks at the earliest opportunity, thus safeguarding the limited spring water supply for his farm.

With support from Farming Connect as an ‘Our Farms’ project, water levels at different reservoirs are being monitored alongside flow rates of water and that information is being used to inform decisions on when pumping is necessary.

Aled was keen to apply this technology to help protect his own water supply at Trefnant Isaf, Welshpool, and applied to Farming Connect to be mentored by Dai.

He had attended a Farming Connect open day at Wallog in 2024 where he had learned about Dai’s project.

The two men had an initial meeting at Trefnant Isaf and have since followed that with a second site visit as well as video and telephone calls.

“Aled’s farm is similar to mine,’’ says Dai. “When I visited, we had a walk around and discussed what needed doing.’’

But Dai stressed that a mentor is not a consultant, the role is one intended to help mentees come up with solutions themselves, although be it through a “mutual development of ideas’’.

“It’s about encouraging the mentee to concentrate on what their goals are and what can be achieved,’’ Dai explains.

“Aled took my personal experience into account though and looked at what was doable in his situation.’’

Aled has since invested in two sensors, one which monitors water levels in the receiving tank and the other the flow rate.

This data will enable him to know how much excess water becomes available in the winter and therefore the extra capacity in the system for supply in the drier months.

The next step is to work out how much is consumed by his livestock and how to get that water to different parts of the farm.

Dai also works at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University and his own knowledge of LoRaWAN technology was developed with support from his colleague, Jason Brook.

“Jason was very knowledgeable in usage of LoRaWAN after implementing it in the controlled environmental growing facilities at the university,’’ he says.

“He helped me in the early stages and with any issues latterly.’’

It is that experience which, in part, encouraged Dai to engage with the Farming Connect Mentoring programme.

“I had help when I needed it and am grateful to be that person who can now pay it forward with what I have learned.’’

He was sure that the knowledge he had gained could be useful to other farmers.

“It is a niche area that could be valuable for farmers who want to do something similar and need help.

“Most farmers are unlikely to have been exposed to LoRaWAN and sensors and it is doubly challenging perhaps in that it can also be a complicated subject matter.’’

His innovative approach to water efficiency saw him named as runner-up in the Farming Connect Farm Innovator Award at the recent Lantra Cymru Awards 2024.

It is not only mentees who gain from mentoring, reckons Dai, who is now a mentor to three farmers.

“I have learned so much from the farmers I have mentored, it is very much a two-way thing, an exchange of ideas.

“It is a brilliant way for me to see different farming systems and, as someone who is relatively new to farming, that has been very beneficial.’’

So, what makes a good mentor? In Dai’s opinion, it is having an unlimited capacity to listen and to be open to the ideas of others, to help the mentee to develop their own ideas.

“We are there to help the people we mentor grow and to find the motivation to move forward with their ideas,’’ he says.

There are also occasions when a mentor can draw on their own experiences to help those they are working with to solve problems.

“Aled called me when a sensor wasn’t working and it sounded like a similar situation to one I had previously experienced, when a slug had found its way inside the sensor,’’ Dai explains.

“I suggested that he checked for slugs and in fact that was the problem and he was able to resolve it. Sometimes problems have simpler solutions than you can dare imagine!’’

For Aled, the opportunity to discuss some of his ideas with Dai has been very beneficial for him personally and his business.

“Every situation is different so having someone come to the farm, to have a look at the set-up and to bounce ideas off, is really worthwhile,’’ he says.

With a big range of potential mentors with different areas of expertise listed in the Farming Connect Mentoring directory, Aled encourages others to take up the opportunity and capitalise on that wealth of knowledge.

THE FARMERS’ UNION OF WALES Farmhouse Breakfast Week has helped raise over £13,500 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Around two thousand people attended events hosted at twenty-four venues across the country, serving breakfast using produce from local farms, as the union marks its 70^th anniversary.

The FUW’s President Ian Rickman named the lifesaving service as his chosen Charity for 2024 to 2026, with the breakfasts being the first fundraising event of 2025.

Wales Air Ambulance Chief Executive, Dr Sue Barnes, said: “What an incredible start to our second year in partnership with the FUW, thanks to its President Ian Rickman.

“I cannot think of a more fitting way to mark the Union’s 70^th anniversary. We wish the team every success for many decades to come.”

She continued: “Our Charity has been on the road with FUW members for over a week, with our representatives welcomed into communities, and the homes of farmers, across the country.

“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who played their part and helped raise funds for our lifesaving service, whilst tucking into a hearty Welsh breakfast!”

Attendees kindly donated funds towards the Wales Air Ambulance at the breakfasts, with some counties also supporting local charities and appeals.

These included the 2026 Pembrokeshire National Eisteddfod Appeal, Eryri Young Farmers’ Clubs and the 2026 Caernarfon Royal Welsh Show appeal.

FUW President Ian Rickman said: “This is one of the best turnouts we have had for farmhouse breakfast week.”

Amongst the breakfast event attendees in the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay, was First Minister, Eluned Morgan. Mr Rickman said: “It’s always great to have such a huge range of people in one room.”

Ian added: “You have stakeholders, politicians, all the main parties in the Senedd, all having a chat and a delicious breakfast, with food produced locally.

“But it is the social aspect that really counts, everyone interacting in a less formal environment plus we are raising funds for the Wales Air Ambulance, which is fantastic.”

The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.

It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.

Farmer Mark Price, who attended the breakfast at the FUW Pavillion at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, said: “The air ambulance is so important, especially for the rural areas of Wales.” 

He continued: “My grandfather had a heart attack in rough weather, it was snowing. The clinicians came to his aid a few years ago and took him to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, so we understand first-hand how essential it is.

“I also played rugby for a local club. The air ambulance landed on our pitch a few times to pick up people with nasty injuries, they do an incredible job.”

Gareth Lloyd, county chairman for the FUW in Ceredigion, says it is an “essential service for those living in rural Wales.”

Speaking at the Canolfan Mynach in Devil’s Bridge, he added: “When someone is in need and in pain, and needs medical assistance immediately, the air ambulance is something that you cannot be without. It saves lives.

“By having events like this we can meet people, socialise, have a good breakfast and raise funds for a great cause.”

THE FUW has marked another successful Farmhouse Breakfast Week, raising over £21,000 for charities and local causes, including more than £13,500 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

The annual event, held between January 18 and 25, saw 24 breakfast gatherings take place across Wales. Members, the public, and politicians came together to enjoy locally produced, nutritious breakfasts while discussing key farming issues with FUW staff and officials.

This year’s event was particularly special as the FUW celebrated seventy years since its establishment in 1955 and marked fifteen years since the first Farmhouse Breakfast Week in Caernarfon in 2010.

A highlight of the week was the breakfast event held at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay, attended by key stakeholders and Senedd Members, including First Minister Eluned Morgan. The event was sponsored by Jane Dodds MS, with Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, delivering the keynote speech.

Reflecting on the success of the week, FUW President Ian Rickman said: “We have enjoyed another fantastic Farmhouse Breakfast Week, and I extend my gratitude to our staff, members, volunteers, and the politicians who have shown their support. A special thanks to the many local businesses across Wales that generously donated produce, from bacon and sausages to dairy products and eggs. Their contributions have made this event a resounding success.

“Together, we have raised an incredible sum, including a significant donation to the Wales Air Ambulance, which provides lifesaving services across Wales daily. This year, we were also pleased to welcome more than 25 politicians to our events, offering an essential opportunity to discuss key challenges facing farming families, including inheritance tax changes, bovine TB, and the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

“The Farmhouse Breakfast Week not only unites communities and raises funds for worthy causes but also showcases the high-quality produce Wales is renowned for. It highlights the vital role farming plays in our rural communities both socially and economically.”

Dr Sue Barnes, Chief Executive of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, expressed her gratitude: “We are extremely grateful to the FUW and its members for once again raising a substantial amount to support the Wales Air Ambulance.

“Our charity is committed to ensuring we can continue our crucial work supporting rural and agricultural communities now and for future generations. Our connection to rural Wales is, and always will be, incredibly strong.

“We also wish to recognise and thank the farming community for its invaluable contribution to Welsh society, as well as the high-quality produce enjoyed here in Wales and around the world.”