BACK in 1955 when the FUW was formed, the National Eisteddfod of Wales was held in Pwllheli and District and it’s hard to imagine that the welcome back then on the FUW stand wasn’t as warm and embracing as it was this last week in Tregaron, writes FUW president Glyn Roberts.
We ensured we had a full programme of events to suit all tastes across the eight days and we hope you found the time to join us on the stall over the week.
Welcoming visitors to our stand, staff were available for a chat over a cuppa and a biscuit and our presidential team was always ready to discuss the hot topics that are bothering farmers and those in the rural economy.
Everything we do at FUW is underpinned by our slogan ‘Farming Matters’.
We realise that farming matters not only to farmers who produce our food but is also the cornerstone of our rural communities and farming families play a huge role in conserving the Welsh language.
Having a presence at such an important Welsh cultural event as the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol is hugely important to the FUW, its staff and our members.
On Monday morning, we were very lucky to be joined by an excitable character who charmed the children and parents alike when the author Anwen Francis launched the Welsh version of her children’s book Diesel y Donci on our stand with a guest appearance by the mischievous donkey himself.
Later on in the day, a panel discussion was held in Pabell y Cymdeithasau, with a lively well-attended session about the future of agriculture in the context of young people and the importance of education to get to grips with the challenges faced by the industry, chaired by Morys Ioan Ceredigion, FUW county chair, also present were Mared Rand Jones (RWAS head of operations), Teleri Fielden (FUW policy officer) and myself.
On Tuesday, we enjoyed a cookery demonstration by Gareth Richards which was a very welcome distraction from the grey drizzly weather.
Causing mayhem and much mirth on Wednesday, Ifan Evans and Y Strab Tomos Bwlch were on the stall to entertain and delight with an hour-long chat about everything and anything.
Every day at 2pm we were joined by members who sat and enjoyed watching reruns of Cefn Gwlad, Siôn a Siân and Rasus in a section titled Dwy Awr Dai am Ddau where we remembered the singer and broadcaster Dai Jones Llanilar, another Ceredigion stalwart and farming champion.
The last day saw us attending a panel discussion run by Meddwl and attended by myself and Alun Elidyr where we talked about the importance of farmers and those working in agriculture talking and asking for help when they felt they were alone and had nowhere to turn.
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Ever-present on our stand was the late poet and former Archdruid Dic Jones, whose awdl Y Cynhaeaf won him the Chair at the Aberavon and District Eisteddfod in 1965.
Dic was born in Tre’r Ddôl, North of Ceredigion, but farmed later on in life at Blaenannerch in the south of the county.
His legacy as well as his words will carry on in his memory, with the words from y Cynhaeaf ringing true for the FUW today, as they did when they were written... "tra bo dynoliaeth fe fydd amaethu, a chyw hen linach yn ei holynu.”
At the FUW, our stand is not just about farming; it is about the wider recognition of how #FarmingMatters, where supply chains are involved, how money circulates in the local economy, where people survive, where profits are made, communities are sustained and our Welsh culture continues to thrive and I am encouraged and hopeful after spending a week at the Eisteddfod that this will be the case for centuries to come.
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