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

The new 'Why I Love Organic' campaign (see earlier posts) will feature a number of Welsh firms. One of them will be the Nant Gwyn Faen Organic Farm, specialists in local and organic food in Llandysul. Nant Gwyn Faen, certified by the Soil Association, is run in accordance with organic standards. A spokesman said :"We keep poultry and pigs. Welsh black cattle, and sheep graze our pastures during the summer. As well as running our bed and breakfast, an organic farm shop, and making bespoke furniture, we also grow our own vegetables. "Our farm is located centrally between Carmarthen, Aberystwyth and Cardigan and provides an ideal base from which to explore the local area. Close to Llandysul, Newcastle Emlyn, Aberaeron, Lampeter and the beautiful Cardigan Bay Coast famous for dolphins, seals, puffins and spectacular scenery. Its cliff top walks and coastal paths provide excellent walking holidays. Sea kayak or canoe in the rivers, fish the Teifi River or go sea fish...

The new 'Why I Love Organic' campaign (see earlier posts) will feature a number of Welsh firms. One of them will be the Calon Wen organic fresh food company in Lampeter. Calon Wen is a Co-op owned by over 20 farming families from across Wales. Our children and families drink our milk everyday and the rest is bottled or churned giving you a taste of the simple life. Many dairy farmers want to sell their own milk to local people through their own company. Well that’s what Calon Wen is all about. • Calon Wen was will soon be celebrating its 10th year and is a Co-op owned by over 20 farming families from across Wales. The aim is to secure a long term market for organic milk from Wales by supporting organic processing needs in Wales. • Calon Wen supplies companies like Rachel’s Organic Dairy in Aberystwyth and Caws Cenarth in Carmarthenshire with all their requirements for fresh organic milk. They also work alongside processors in Wales producing our own branded products Calon Wen i...

The new 'Why I Love Organic' campaign (see earlier posts) will feature a number of Welsh firms. One of them will be the Rhug Farm Estate in Corwen, Denbighsbire. Rhug farm started its organic conversion in 1998 and is now fully certified by the Soil Association. Rhug has its own nationally award winning flock of 4000 ewes and 500 head of cattle including the special herd of Aberdeen Angus. Rhug is one of the largest organic farms in Wales, covering 1050 hectares (approx. 2500 acres) including 90 hectares of broadleaved woodland plus 551 hectares of mountain land. All of the land is managed to stringent environmental management principles. The mountain is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and subject to a five-year environmental management plan with the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW). The lowland is managed under the Tir Gofal (Care of the land) scheme on a ten-year management agreement. Organic farming at Rhug has resulted in wildlife across the farm flourishin...

The new 'Why I Love Organic' campaign (see earlier posts) will feature a number of Welsh firms. One of them will Abaca Ltd of Tycroes Business Park, Ammanford. The firm's managing director is Mrs Rhiannon Rowley. After 15 years of working in the mattress industry, Rhiannon's concern about the chemicals in the fabrics and materials used to create mattresses, led to the development of Abaca Organic. There was already a clear need for natural bedding for people with a range of conditions including various allergies and ME. More than just a natural alternative, Rhiannon wanted to create a truly luxurious organic bedding range. The company produces organic mattresses using the purest organic Welsh wool and organic fabrics. Unlike other mattresses which use synthetic fabrics, Abaca mattresses are made of natural materials without the need for chemicals. No pesticides are used in the production of the cotton materials used. Each organic mattress is carefully hand stitched and ...

The new 'Why I Love Organic' campaign (see earlier posts) will feature a number of Welsh firms. One of them will be Farmhouse Freedom Eggs of Great House, Gwehelog, Usk, Monmouthshire. The business was founded by Gerry and Linda Tuffs who started free-range egg production at Great House Farm in 1985. In fact, they were the first sub-contract producers for Daylay Eggs which was subsequently bought by Deans Farms. In 1999, they acquired the Martin Pitt free-range egg business based in Marlborough, Wiltshire and expanded the sales of eggs throughout London and the M4 corridor. Farmhouse Freedom Eggs is still based at Great House Farm and boasts a modern packing station with state of the art grading and packing machines. The mayonnaise production has increased in volume and the business has added a new modern production facility to handle this growth. In 2000 the company launched its organic egg production under the Organic Food Federation accreditation – Great House Farm became an...

Top 10 reasons for buying organic products (Soil Association Market Report – May 2010 – onepoll.com)  Naturalness/unprocessed – 40%  Restricted use of pesticides – 34%  Better taste – 30%  Better for my well-being – 28%  Better for the planet – 25%  Kind to animals – 22%  GM free – 18%  Encourages wildlife – 16%  Helping climate change – 12%  Organic products are available from all major supermarkets, farm shops and farmers markets, vegetable box schemes, specialist independent stores, direct from producers and online. This Top 10 list has been produced as part of the launch of a high profile three-year campaign that is set to deliver sales growth by increasing consumer demand for organic food in the UK. Match funded by the EU, the aim of the £2m ‘Why I Love Organic’ campaign is to invite consumers to discover what organic means, by challenging their perceptions and discovering their own reason for loving it. Launching in January 2011 under the banner ‘There are lots of reaso...