Farmer Enterprise Competition 2014 - find the winning formula

Following the success of last year’s Farmer Enterprise Competition, Farming Connect is now working with Bangor University to host the competition for 2014.

Menter a Busnes, which first developed and delivered this innovative competition last spring, is now seeking five new teams of three enthusiastic farmers from across Wales, to compete against each other to produce a profitable pen of lambs grazed on a crop of their choice.

This year’s competition will be based at Bangor University’s farm, Henfaes Research Centre; which runs from sea level to the Carneddau mountain range. The contestants will be faced with the challenge of producing a profitable pen of Welsh Mountain lambs, brought straight down from the Carneddau mountain range to be managed on lower-lying land at Henfaes.

Dr Prysor Williams, Course Director of the Agriculture, Conservation and Environment degree at Bangor University welcomes the competition to Henfaes.

“We are eagerly looking forward to collaborating with Menter a Busnes on this successful and high profile Farming Connect knowledge transfer project.

“Finishing lambs as efficiently as possible is a challenge for hill farms such as Henfaes, and this competition will demonstrate the most viable options in order to achieve this,” said Prysor. 

Each selected team will develop and implement its own strategy for meeting the feeding requirements of the lambs, decide upon any crops to be established and will be responsible for all aspects of both animal health and crop management. Teams will be required to sustainably produce and manage 50 Welsh Mountain lambs to be marketed on two acre plots of land at Henfaes.

The teams will not have to deal with day to day husbandry, but will have full responsibility for animal health planning and grazing strategies to optimize health and effective crop utilisation.  The teams will be supported throughout the competition by recognised industry experts.

Their final challenge will be to decide when the lambs are ready to be marketed. The teams will be subsequently judged by a panel of industry experts on their management skills and the profitability of the lambs.  Members of the winning team will each receive an electronic tablet device.

How to apply:
Farmer Enterprise is now open to farmers of any age, registered with Farming Connect who live and work in Wales. The closing deadline for applications is 24 April 2014.

Application forms which set out the terms and conditions of the competition can be downloaded from www.menterabusnes.co.uk/farmingconnect/farmers-enterprise-competition

For further information contact Gwawr Hughes on 01248 660 075 or email: gwawr.hughes@menterabusnes.co.uk.

Publication date: 24 March 2014