Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Welsh multi-millionaire, social entrepreneur and wealth-coach, Kevin Green inspired an audience of farming and landowning entrepreneurs at the CLA Cymru pavilion at the Royal Welsh Show tonight. “How’s it done? – Is the question I get asked all the time,” Kevin told his audience. “I’m never going to say it’s easy, but I’ve got some insights into how dynamic people can get the best out of themselves and their business partners - and get the best from their precious resources. “Farmers and landowners are already like the invaluable ‘multi-tool’ on the work-bench. “Multi-skilled, they are committed, determined and self-motivated. They are self-sufficient, but often draw upon a highly supportive network who are not just supporters but are believers in their work. “As a group they are doggedly determined – their blood is in the land and the land is in their blood.” Kevin Green has been a successful dairy-farmer and is now a highly successful businessman, juggling one of the UK’s bigges...

Press release from Country Landowners Association, CLA Cymru: Kevin Green is a self-made multi-millionaire and social entrepreneur and an acknowledged expert in how to set up a profitable business. He is one of the UK’s largest residential property landlords and a multi-business owner. Kevin featured on Channel 4′s Secret Millionaire, was homeless in 1988.  The questions he gets asked most in life are: “How can I get rich?” and “How can I make money?”. CLA Cymru are delighted that Kevin will be speaking at our Monday night reception at the Royal Welsh Show. The event is open to all show goers to attend Before making his fortune in business, he was a successful dairy farmer. In 1999, he won a Nuffield Scholarship in agriculture and studied the attitudes and personalities of high achievers. He also interviewed the likes of Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson. During the study he learned the simple principles for success and determined the common elements that contributed...

Wales will be leading the way in tackling a bee crisis, as Environment Minister John Griffiths announces a new action plan [1] at the Royal Welsh Show today (Monday 23 July). Bees and other pollinating insects are in steep decline, threatening our environment, our economy, and our food. Now government action could mean help and advice for farmers and communities to protect the more than 250 species of bee in the UK. Friends of the Earth Cymru has welcomed the Welsh Government’s announcement of a Pollinator Action Plan. The environment charity’s The Bee Cause campaign [2], launched earlier this year, calls on the Welsh and UK Governments to take action to halt the decline of bees and other essential pollinators. Managed honey bee colonies fell by over 50 per cent between 1985 and 2005. Wild honey bees are nearly extinct in many parts of the UK, and a quarter of wild bee species are considered rare or endangered. Recent research by the University of Reading has revealed it would ...

Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Welsh Politics (IWP) will hold a round-table discussion at the Royal Welsh Show titled ‘The Recession and Rural Wales' at 2.30pm on Tuesday 24 July. The panel will include Alun Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes in the Welsh Government; Emyr Jones, President of the Farmers Union of Wales; Janet Jones, Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Professor Mike Woods of the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences at Aberystwyth University.  The four will share their experiences about the difficult situation facing rural Wales during years of recession, and consider how best to move forward. Dr Huw Lewis of the IWP will Chair the meeting.  According to Dr Anwen Elias, Director of IWP, "This is the first time we’ve organised an event such as this on the showground, but we feel that it’s vital that we, as a research centre studying Welsh Politics, provide an opportunity to discuss...

Aberystwyth University has developed its first commercial app for the farm sector which will be officially launched at the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday 24 July.  The guest speaker at the event will be Dr Christianne Glossop, Chief Veterinary Officer to the Welsh Government. The farmGRAZE app, based on the expertise of a team from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), will help farmers to manage livestock grazing more efficiently and save money on feed and fertiliser. This android app will allow farmers to calculate the grazing available to their livestock in a particular field and across their holding. Dr Rhian Hayward from Commercialisation and Consultancy Services at the University, explains, “This app is the result of an apps challenge we held for staff and students last year to transform research based ideas into mobile app concepts. “As a university, we are in a strong position to realise the commercial value in our technologies an...

Carmarthenshire dairy producers have been congratulated by the county council for their successes at the Royal Welsh Show. The success against stiff opposition comes as new developments are in the pipeline which will strengthen the industry in the county. Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “I would like to congratulate Carmarthenshire’s dairy producers for an outstanding number of successes at the Royal Welsh Show. “It only goes to prove the quality of produce available from within Carmarthenshire which will be further complemented by the set up of a new dairy at the Old Creamery in Whitland and a new dairy processing unit, initially to churn butter, at Cross Hands Food Park.” The local winners were: Farmhouse & Speciality Classes were, Farmhouse Caerphilly: 1, Caws Cenarth Carmarthenshire 1st; Farmhouse Smoked Cheese, Hard Pressed: Caws Cenarth Carmarthenshire 2nd; Farmhouse Cheese of any Variety Open to P...

The Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM will today, at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, officially launch a major new study led by Aberystwyth University to develop improved varieties of oats. The launch takes place at the Education Pavilion (next to S4C). Quality Oats (QUOATS), a £4.9m five year project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Defra, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government, is also expected to enhance health benefits as more and more people turn to oats as part of a healthier diet. Increased demand for safe, healthy and nutritious food or feedstuff, together with increased agricultural energy and fertiliser costs and the need to farm in a more sustainable manner are among the drivers behind the study according to Dr Athole Marshall, head of the Oat Breeding Programme at IBERS. “Oats are a valuable break crop in cereal rotations reducing disease and weed problems, require less fertiliser than wheat, perform ...

Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones, whose appointment to the new Waitrose Chair of Sustainable Agriculture at Aberystwyth University was announced yesterday, will be taking part in a discussion on the subject “Will climate change make Welsh farmers rich?” at the Education Pavilion (next door to S4C) at the Royal Welsh Show today at 2.00 p.m. On the panel will be Sir John Houghton, Former Chair of the International Panel on Climate Change, Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at IBERS Aberystwyth University, and Professor Jamie Newbold, IBERS Aberystwyth University. The session will be chaired by Professor Wayne Powell, Director of IBERS.

The Welsh Assembly Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones AM, will today officially launch the Improved Food Safety research project which is set to play a significant role in ensuring the safety of meat. The launch, held at the IBERS Aberystwyth University Pavilion in Countryside Care at the Royal Welsh Show, brings together representatives from industry, academia and agriculture to mark the start of a project which aims to drastically reduce incidences of meat contamination in abattoirs. The £460,000 research project undertaken by scientists at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is jointly funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and industrial partners. The project has gained support from partners across the agri-food industry including British Chlorophyll Co Ltd; Castell Howell Foods Ltd; Randall Parker Foods Ltd, Waitrose Ltd and Wynnstay Group PLC. The principal aim of the research is to investigate ways of identifying conta...