The Pontbren Group consists of ten neighbouring families who farm 1000 hectares in the catchment of Pontbren Stream in North Powys. The Pontbren Group considered the future of their farming enterprises and identified a number of changes they could make individually and collectively to improve the chances of sustaining their business.
The primary objective was to improve the viability of the farms by reducing costs, adding value to produce and enhanced marketing. Increasing the proportion of native breeds of hardy sheep has enabled the farms to reduce winter housing costs and the amount of bought-in feed. To lamb successfully on these exposed hills requires good shelter and the Group has undertaken a major programme of hedgerow restoration and planted new woodlands and shelterbelts.
The group also cut their farming costs by working together and innovating:
• Reducing ewe numbers and replacing them with hardier breeds for the Welsh hillsides reduces feed costs.
• Using dry woodchip rather than imported straw is cheaper and reduces foot rot when used indoors.
• Establishing a joint tree nursery cuts the cost of buying trees for restoring hedgerows and woodland.
• Composted woodchip saves buying compost for the trees.
The biodiversity across the landscape has benefited with changes in flora and fauna including the return of green woodpeckers and barn owls and scientists are studying the impact these changes are having on the wildlife, the soils and the water in the Pontbren catchment.
The farms are still viable and the group continues to work together to keep their businesses competitive. This group has made a bold attempt to take control of their own destiny, increasing yield on British farms whilst enhancing the biodiversity and the landscape, providing an alternative to imported produce and is truly sustainable agriculture.
