Helen Ovens -FUW Policy Officer, Commodities.

Helen grew up in Ceredigion, and has extensive experience of agricultural support and rural development issues in Wales and the UK.  Previous positions include Knowledge Transfer Officer with Hybu Cig Cymru, working with demonstration farms and discussion groups across Wales.  Prior to that Helen helped farmers access rural development funding in Yorkshire, working for the Regional Development Agency Yorkshire Forward, on behalf of Defra.

She has got practical experience of working on beef and sheep farms in Wales, England and Scotland, and has a MSc in Crop Protection from SAC Aberdeen, and a BSc in Rural Development from the University of East Anglia.  Helen has also worked in agriculture overseas, with small-scale producers in Uganda, which is where she met her husband Innes.

Other current work areas of interest include grassland management systems, renewable energy, and resource efficiency on-farm.  Outside of work Helen’s interests include beekeeping, as well as attempting to keep the wool industry going by furiously knitting at every opportunity, and improving her Welsh language skills.