Launched last year to promote positive messaging amongst the general public and policymakers, the union has again asked farmers to share the climate-friendly credentials of their farming practices and produce with #welshfarmingweek.
Within our industry we have superb examples of working with our climate and the land that put us firmly at the forefront of sustainable red meat and dairy production. It was superb to see so many sharing their practices and highlighting their plans in reaching and sustaining Carbon Net Zero.
By nature, we are farmers and not marketing experts or media-savvy promoters, but now more than ever, we need to shout about what we do, dispel the untruths and defend ourselves against certain food groups who peddle alternatives on the back of misinformation.
Moving forward and continuing the momentum of championing our sustainable farming methods, I would like to have hard data at hand to support our voice. I often see claims from within our industry and indeed from those in direct competition with our market, but often ask where's the factual evidence.
We need to clearly demonstrate that supporting sustainable farming within the red meat and dairy industry is a positive contribution by the consumers in tackling climate change and environmental concerns.
By the time this article is published I will be on the way to St Malo, Brittany, for the start of The Pan Celtic Race, a self-supported, ultra-endurance bicycle race. This will be my third PCR, tackling a different route each time through the Celtic nations of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, The Isle of Man and Brittany.
This year the 1,500 mile bike race will finish in Llandudno, with the final few miles being a lap of The Great Orme and my first opportunity to check the sheep in person for about a week, depending of course on how fast I've been peddling!
It's a huge challenge, both physically and mentally, but for me the biggest challenge is leaving the farm. In the next week all the sheep will have to be gathered, sheared and treated for flystrike.
I have a very different training schedule from my competitors. While I've ridden my bike most days since December, it's usually only for about an hour at a time depending on the farming day.
Farming as we know is all-consuming. For me, getting away from the ‘gold-fish bowl' of The Great Orme for a short period each day helps me to mentally recharge and clear my mind.
I've made many farming decisions while peddling, and mostly they have been good decisions! While not the text book preparation for an ultra endurance race, hopefully this week's shearing and hill walking will put me in a good place.
I'm really looking forward to the journey, especially Brittany, and doing some serious ‘looking over the hedge farming'. And with a week's worth of lone thinking time who knows what farming decisions and ideas I will have come up with!
