Nestled in the Snowdonia National Park, a few miles from the historic towns of Beddgelert and Penrhyndeudraeth, is Hafod y Llyn Isaf, a National Trust farm. The 110 acres holding is home to husband and wife team Teleri Fielden and Ned Feesey, 100 sheep and 20 cattle.
The land here is mostly rush pasture and species rich floodplain meadows, as it’s only 3 meters above sea level. Formerly part of the estuary, before the cob was built in Porthmadog, the soil is sandy and presents the young farming couple with some challenges.
Not from a traditional farming background, Teleri and Ned had to prove themselves to their landlords, the National Trust, to be accepted as the tenant farmers here. Through hard work and determination, the couple have secured a 10 year farm business tenancy. Before moving here, Teleri was farming at Llyndy Isaf at Nantgwynant on a scholarship between the National Trust and the YFC. It was meant to be a one year scholarship to help young farmers get a foot on the ladder but she stayed for 3 years running the 600 acre hill farm, with Welsh mountain sheep and Welsh black cattle and a lot of conservation work.
Teleri said: “Neither me nor Ned grew up on a farm so we had to find either a tenancy, share farming agreement or a council holding and thankfully Hafod y Llyn came up the summer I was leaving Llyndy Isaf as the farm scholar there. We applied for it and went through a long application process and eventually were successful.We both however continue to work off farm as well.”
A Meirionnydd sheep farmer has raised industry concerns with Mid and West Wales Member of the Senedd Jane Dodds. Welcoming the MS to his farm was Robert Wyn Evans, who farms at Sylfaen Farm, Barmouth, Gwynedd.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales’ (FUW) Milk and Dairy Produce Committee has highlighted the impact the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations in their current form will have on profitable farming and milk processing.