The Farmers’ Union of Wales will be promoting Welsh food and farming during its biggest ever presence at the annual Urdd National Eisteddfod next week (May 31-June 5).
This year’s venue – the National Trust’s property at Llanerchaeron, near Aberaeron – is a rare example of a self-sufficient 18th-century Welsh farm estate which has survived virtually unaltered.
In a unique link-up with the National Trust, the FUW’s new mobile display unit will be located on the Home Farm complex which has an impressive range of traditional, atmospheric outbuildings and is a working organic farm with Welsh Black cattle, Llanwenog sheep and rare Welsh pigs.
The union will also have its traditional stand on the Maes and members are welcome to pop in for a cuppa and a Welsh cake while Ceredigion YFC Federation will be holding various events there throughout the week including, on the opening day, setting a challenge for Wales YFC chairman Tim John to have his legs “waxed” and raise funds for the Kidney Wales Foundation.
A food and farm trail quiz-sheet has been compiled with all the answers available on a gentle stroll from the FUW stand on the Maes to the mobile unit via Llanerchaeron’s walled gardens and farmyard.
A hamper of local food and drink will be the main prize for the quiz and a Llanerchaeron meat voucher and piggy banks will be the prizes for the lucky winners of a “guess the weight of three little pigs” competition.
Activities alongside the mobile unit begin on Tuesday with a bee-keeping demonstration by FUW’s former Cardiganshire county executive officer Lewis Griffith who will repeat the demonstration on Thursday.
Also on Tuesday popular characters from S4C’s Ceredigion-based children’s programme Pentre Bach will be available to sign autographs and pose for photographs on the FUW stand between 11am and noon.
On the Wednesday and Thursday there will be intriguing displays at the mobile unit of the work of two Talgarreg rural craft exponents – Grug Jones, who makes unusual and artistic willow sculptures, and retired farmer Lloyd Jones, who has a fascinating collection of rope knots.
Meanwhile, the National Trust will also hold a series of events and talks at the farm complex throughout the week including regular shearing displays of local Llanwenog sheep plus an exhibition of various breeds of poultry.
There will also be an opportunity to visit the unique Geler Jones collection of farm machinery, carts, and rural artefacts housed in a purpose-built shed near the FUW mobile unit.
“The FUW is delighted to work with the National Trust to give visitors to the eisteddfod the chance to discover how a working farm produced enough food to make the estate self-sufficient,” said the union’s Ceredigion county executive officer Owen Jenkins.
“We sincerely hope that the young and not-so-young visitors will remember what both organisations are attempting to do – educate the public to appreciate that food security is one of today’s major worldwide issues.”
