News

Share system leads to farm success

Published

10 years ago

February 26, 2016

A FARM in North Pembrokeshire run by volunteers uses a share system to distribute its yield throughout the county.

Caerhys Organic Community Agriculture (COCA) is an agricultural scheme run for and supported by the local community. Members share organic food grown in partnership with local farmers.

The concept of COCA is based on mutual benefit and shared risk. Sharers visit Caerhys Organic Farm near St Davids, or one of the other pick-up points across the council to collect their weekly share of freshly harvested seasonal vegetables.

Other than the array of vegetables share holders recieve, fresh local produce like: organic milk, cheese, eggs, free-range organic meats and other locally sourced organic fruit and vegetables are avilable for purchase.

COCA was started in March 2010 by a small group of people including farmer Gerald Miles and founding members Val & Wyn Buick, Gill Lewis, Jacki Sime, Ailsa Buick, Darren Gibbs and Rupert Dunn.

Gerald wanted to secure a sustainable future for his farm and the founding members supported him in achieving this through the Community Support Agriculture (CSA) model.

COCA said: “Thanks to generous donations from founding members to buy seed and equipment we were able to plant the first crops in June 2010 on a two-acre field.”

“Since then,” They continued: “ We have continued to gather momentum and now grow enough vegetables to support our current membership, who are spread all over the St David’s Peninsula. As we mature and build resources, together we deepen our knowledge of growing quality organics for the local community.”

COCA work with nearby organic farmers to get the best range and quality of produce available to their members, they do this through the CSA partnership between the community group and the farmers.

The farm holds open days and social events to encourage a sense of community and connection with the land.

COCA said: “We like to involve members in the life of the farm, whether it is planting onions, picking carrots or just popping down for a cup of tea and a chat.”

The organisation is run day-to-day by a core group of volunteers who are elected by the members. Monthly meeting take place so that all members/sharers can contribute to how COCA functions.

Volunteering is not an essential part of membership to COCA, however they have said that: “Many members find that visits to Caerhys Farm, perched on the edge of the stunning Pembrokeshire coastline, to be a thoroughly rewarding part of their week.”

To join COCA and receive your weekly share of the monthly yield you simply have to fill in their downloadable form online and send it back to them detailing which share: large or small, you would like to take.

Small weekly shares which are suitable for one or two people, cost £25 per month, and large shares which will provide for three of four people per week cost £47 with additional charges applying to certain collection points.

COCA encourage those thinking of taking their first share to first trial one of their free, full share boxes, which will give an accurate representation of what the potential farm share holder will recieve.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

41 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.