Award-winning sheep farmer on the benefits of lifelong learning

Richard Wilding, an upland sheep farmer from Presteigne was the winner of the Farming Connect Learner of the Year Award in the 40-year-old and under category at the Lantra Cymru Awards earlier this year.

Richard, who farms in partnership with his father, returned to full-time sheep farming in his mid-20s after working in a government agency for six years which was then followed with an 18-month working trip to large-scale farms in Australia and New Zealand.

He returned to Wales in time to find work during the lambing season of 2013, and he soon set up a contract shepherding business and established his own flock at the family farm where he now farms in partnership with his dad.

However, because he had not studied agriculture after school, Richard felt there were gaps in his skillset and he set about redressing the balance through Farming Connect.

"Recently I did a calf rearing and management course as we have been looking at calf rearing as a diversification," he said.

"I have also completed the Mounted Sprayer course. We grow fodder beet here on the farm which is an intensive crop to grow with potentially several passes with the sprayer. By being able to do the spraying myself it has meant that I can be a lot more accurate with the timings of the sprays, hopefully meaning I can produce a better crop and reduce additional concentrate feed."

Richard credits the Farming Connect programme which has helped him learn new skills and improve existing ones.

The judges at the Lantra Cymru Awards said that Richard’s clear thirst for learning and determination to develop additional skills in areas such as production costs, grassland and livestock management, conservation, woodland and carbon management, shows an outstanding commitment to personal development, making him a very worthy winner of this Learner of the Year award.

In addition to training courses, he has also utilised a Master Herbal Advance Masterclass and Farming Connect discussion groups covering topics such as pre-lambing nutrition advice and flock data handling.

Richard has also benefitted from the Advisory Service, receiving specialist advice on veterinary care, livestock management, grassland and crop management, and business planning for his farm.

Looking ahead, Richard plans to take advantage of additional Farming Connect training courses to further optimise his farm operations.

“I think as Farmers as a whole, we're going to have to do more for less," he said. "So, with that in mind to get more out of the farm there's a couple of agronomy courses and a grassland systems course that I’m hoping to look into so that I can get a little bit more out of the farm and hopefully utilise what I've got here a bit better”.

Nominations for this year's Lantra Awards are currently open and Farming Connect is looking for inspiring individuals who deserve recognition for their continued dedication to skills development.

The awards are open to all Farming Connect Lifelong Learning clients who have completed training through the Farming Connect Program since January 2017.

There are two categories – for learners aged 40 and under on January 1, 2024 and for learners aged 40 and over on January 1, 2024.

Contact wales@lantra.co.uk for more information on how to submit a nomination, the closing date is Friday, October 18.

For more information on Farming Connect, visit www.gov.wales/farmingconnect