Although the ‘season to be merry’ is nearly upon us, the season of organic farmer discussion group meetings is already in full swing, because most groups meet during the winter months when nights are long. These meetings are free for producers and are organized by Organic Centre Wales as part of the Farming Connect Organic Development Programme.
Discussion groups are a great way for farmers to update their skill set within a friendly environment. Farmers’ demanding workloads can make it difficult for them to keep abreast of the changes that happen so often in the agricultural sector, and some problems can be borne unnecessarily because a farmer doesn’t know what resources are available, or thinks wrongly that they would be too costly.
Organic Centre Wales has a network of 24 discussion groups spread across Wales and are facilitated by Farming Connect Knowladge Transfer staff . The majority are focussed on beef and sheep but there are also groups for poultry, horticulture and dairy. They organize a full programme of meetings for producers to bring their skills and knowledge up to date, share ideas and provide feedback on what life is like from a producer’s viewpoint.
Groups meet in local pubs, village halls or community centres and are informal. The focus for discussion at the meetings is chosen by the members with guest speakers attending occaisionally to introduce seasonal topicics. In the autumn for instance, groups may have meetings on forage analysis with a nutritionist present to explain the results and suggest rations for various categories of livestock .
Philip Jones, one of the organisers of the meetings, said: “Discussion groups, because they are funded by Farming Connect, can make the necessary expertise affordable. It’s good for farmers to know that they are not alone with all the technical and organizational problems they face. Talking to other farmers who have similar challenges is an immediate morale booster, and these meetings can often help you find answers to immediate problems and solve future ones too!”
Any organic farmers and growers who are would like to know about meetings in their area should contact Organic Centre Wales on 01970 622248 to enquire about groups that meet close to them.
