Thursday 1 May 2008

Welsh Blacks mix business and pleasure at AGM weekend

The Welsh Black Cattle Society will be holding its annual general meeting (AGM) in Breconshire next week (May 10th).

Members will meet at the Manor Hotel in Crickhowell to discuss Society business before holding the annual prize award dinner.

Prizes to be awarded include the prestigious Large and Small Herds of the Year, which have been won respectively by Mrs Gwenfair Jones a'i Fab (Hafodesgob Herd) and Jessica Evans (Gerddi Bluog Herd). Jessica will also take over the role of WBCS Young Ambassador from Aled Thomas, Anglesey .

Presenting the awards will be outgoing President, John Pratt of the The Hillis Farm, Llanfilo, Talgarth near Brecon. During the evening Mr Pratt will hand over office to Mr Richard Hughes, Glanrafon, Bodorgan, Anglesey , whose Rhafon Herd of pedigree Welsh Blacks was established in 1967.

As is tradition the eve of the AGM includes a farm open day (May 9), with this year's hosts the Pugh family who run an organic farm and butchery business at Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley near Bridgend.

The family have been farming at Ty Talgarth for nearly 70 years, and over the years have extended the 2,000 acre hill farm which is run on an extensive basis and has been fully organic for three years.

In addition to the farm's herd of pedigree Welsh Black Cattle there is also flock of Welsh Mountain sheep.

In 2006 a butchery and farm shop was opened on the farm, with the whole enterprise operating under the name Ty Talgarth Organics. There are plans too to increase cow numbers to 45 and to build an extension to the shop to increase the processing and packaging area.

“We believe the success of the retail side of the business has been helped along tremendously by the Welsh Black,” says Debbie Pugh.

“It is a breed which I am sure has a great future, which can be built on by promoting its eating quality, ease of management and thriftiness which are qualities of increasing importance in today's farming.”