Erthygl Western Mail – Lowri Fflur Davies

Gyda’r haul wedi bod yn disgleirio dros yr wythnosau diwethaf mae cefn gwlad wedi bod yn brysur! Mae’r rhan fwyaf o ffermwyr wedi bod wrth y silwair, gyda nifer yn cymryd mantais o’r tywydd braf i dorri’r gwair yn gynt na’r arfer.

Wrth gwrs, mae’r haul yn golygu cyfle i nifer fawr ohonom gan gynnwys y ffermwyr i fod tu allan yn gweithio – boed ar y tir, gyda’r anifeiliaid, yn yr ardd neu o gwmpas y ty. Ar Ffermio neithiwr fe welon ni eitem ar gancr y croen a’r risg sydd o weithio tu allan heb wisgo eli haul neu gorchuddio’r croen. Mae ystadegau erbyn hyn yn dangos bod mwy o ddynion na menywod yn marw o gancr y croen ac felly mae’n eithriadol o bwysig i adnabod yr arwyddion yn gynnar er mwyn ceisio lleihau’r risg cyn iddi fod yn rhy hwyr.

Ar y rhaglen neithiwr roedd nifer o’r ffermwyr ym Marchnad Stoc Caerfyrddin yn cyfaddef nad oeddynt byth yn ystyried gwisgo eli haul er eu bod allan yn yr awyr agored yn ddyddiol. Roedd Dr Nia Davies yno hefyd yn rhoi cyngor – ac mae’n bosib gweld fideo fer o’r cyngor hyn ar ein gwefan ni.

Mae aelodau’r Clybiau Ffermwyr Ifanc ar draws y wlad ar hyn o bryd wrthi yn ymarfer ac yn paratoi ar gyfer cystadlu yn eu Rali Sirol. Cynhaliwyd y Rali gyntaf eleni yn Nghaerfyrddin dros y penwythnos a hynny ar gae Sioe Nantyci. Roedden ni yno yn ffilmio ar gyfer Ffermio nos Lun nesaf tra roedd Terwyn yno hefyd gyda ‘fflip fideo Ffermio’ ar gyfer y wefan. Pob hwyl hefyd i weddill Clybiau Ffermwyr Ifanc Cymru wrth iddyn nhw gystadlu yn eu Rali Sirol nhw dros y misoedd nesaf!

Er mwyn gweld yr adroddiad arbennig o rali CFfI Sir Gâr, neu gwylio cyngor Dr Nia Davies ar gancr y croen; ewch draw i’n wefan ni sef www.ffermio.tv gan glicio ar y pennawd ‘Gwyliwch Eto’.

Lowri Fflur Davies – Ymchwilydd Ffermio

Rare cattle to wow crowds at Royal Welsh

The oldest residents of historic Dinefwr are getting ready to wow crowds at the Royal Welsh Smallholders and Garden Festival.

Rare White Park Cattle, which have been an emblem of the power of Welsh princes for centuries, will make their first appearance at the Builth Wales festival on May 21 and 22. Wyn Davies is the area warden for the National Trust in Carmarthenshire. He said the importance of the ancient breed can not be overstated.

‘These cattle are the rarest of the rare,’ said Mr Davies. ‘They are very much a part of Welsh history. When Hywel Dda codified the laws of Wales these cattle were used as a form of currency. Tithes and fines had to be paid in white cattle in the 10th century. Dinefwr is their ancestral home.

“They are also very much part of Welsh folklore. In this area we have the legend of Llyn y Fan Fach, where a local farmer married the lady of the lake and when she emerged from the lake she brought these cattle with her. The poetry of the 10th century refers to the legend of the lake and refers to the white bulls of the king’s court. The court was Dinefwr.”

Dinefwr Park has 34 white cattle including young stock. Two yearling heifers will be taken to the show, along with a display giving information about their heritage. If all goes well, the plans for next year are even more ambitious. “We want to raise the profile of the breed and show people what we are achieving here at Dinefwr Park,” said Mr Davies. “We hope by next year to go into the ring with them.”

The cattle are white except for their points (nose, feet and tips of horns), which are usually black but can be red. “Unfortunately the Dinefwr cattle had to be sold in the 1970s,” said Mr Davies. “They were reintroduced by the National Trust in 1992/3 with cattle from the same blood lines.

“It is widely recognised that conservation grazing is an integral part and crucial to the successful management of conservation sites, and here at Dinefwr we have the perfect tool for the job, an ancient traditional breed of cattle that are an icon of the property.

“We have succeeded in making the herd far more financially sustainable by producing our own hay for winter feed and by doing so have enhanced our plans to regenerate flower rich hay meadows.”

The cattle can be seen in the grounds of Dinefwr throughout the year. Guided walks discussing the herd’s place in the history of the park are available.

For more details, visit the National Trust website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Western Mail Article – Gwawr Lewis

Within days the attention of the world will be on the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London. After their honeymoon, the pair will return to live on Anglesey, where Prince William works as an RAF pilot – and the island will be the focus of the Ffermio programme this coming Bank Holiday Monday, May 2nd.

Anglesey is Wales’ largest island – approximately 20 miles wide and is home to around 2000 farmers. In Welsh, it’s known as ‘Môn Mam Cymr’ – translated to ‘Anglesey, the Mother of Wales’ – as in the middle ages, the fertile land of the island used to produce a great deal of crops – indeed, it produced enough food to feed the whole of north Wales!

On the programme, Daloni and Alun will be visiting the Farmers Market in Menai Bridge and meeting some of the present day food producers. Daloni will also be visiting two of these producers at home on their farms whilst Alun will be with a farmer in Llanfechell and Meinir will be learning more about farming angora rabbits.

According to one travel journalist, Anglesey has been judged to be the most desirable destination to visit this year. In part this is because of Prince William and the ‘Royal’ connection with the area but the island is an attraction in its own right and attracts 1.5 million visitors every year.

Ffermio will be on S4C this coming Monday, May 2nd at the slightly later time than usual – 21.15pm

Timely programme for Chernobyl Disaster – Gwawr Lewis

Many countries across the world have experienced extreme weather over the past months. Following the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, it is estimated that around 18,000 people lost their lives; whilst homes and buildings and acres upon acres of the rice fields there were also destroyed. But, one of the main concerns was in regard to the safety of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station – a quarter of a century since the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. On Monday April 18 Ffermio will be looking at the effect that the accident in Chernobyl has had on Wales over the years.

When Chernobyl Nuclear Station in the Ukraine exploded on 26 April 1986, it affected more than just the surrounding area. A cloud of radiation travelled across Europe poisoning the land and 25 years later, farmers in parts of Wales are still trying to deal with the consequences.

Meinir Jones, who was only a few months old when the disaster happened, will be finding out more about the experiences of farmers from Eryri and Meirionnydd who were affected by the tragedy. Meinir will also be meeting agriculture officials that were at the forefront of trying to control the damage at the time.

With the days getting longer the members of the Young Farmers Movement are getting even busier. This coming Saturday, the YFC Wales Field Day is being held at Welshpool – good luck to all that are competing.

Y Farchnad Organig – Phil Jones, Canolfan Organig Cymru

Rhwystyr mawr I dŵf y farchnad organig yw’r ddelwedd fod bwyd organig yn ‘elite’, ac ere i fod yn wir I’r Tywysog Siarl fod yn frwd dros bopeth organig, gwelir gwragedd beichiog a mamau plant ifanc yn prynu bwyd organig hefyd. Nid yw’r person sy a chonsyrn am ansawdd bwyd yn talu llawer o sylw I adroddiad yr FSA a ddywedodd bethau negyddol am fwyd organig, oherwydd maen’t yn gwybod fod y Safonau Organig yn gwahardd ffermwyr organig rhag defnyddio y mwyafrif o gemegion sy’n cael eu defnyddio’n gyffredin mewn amaeth confensiynol.

Er mwyn codi’r ymwybyddiaeth fod bwyd organig yn llesol I’r unigolyn a’r amgylchedd, lansiwyd ymgyrch:’Pam rwy’n hoffi’r organig.’

Gweler: http://www.whyiloveorganic.co.uk/
Fydden I wrth fy modd yn cael eich sylwadau…………………

Phil Jones, Canolfan Organig Cymru.