A new book that tells the story of how a ground-breaking project has helped more than 1,000 farming families across Wales adapt to the changing rural economy over the past seven years will be launched at the Royal Welsh Show.

Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones will launch ‘Seeds for Change – Action Learning for Innovation‘ in the S4C building on the Royal Welsh Showground at Llanelwedd on Tuesday, 20th of July.

It has been published by Aberystwyth-based Menter a Busnes, who manage the Agrisgôp action learning programme for the Welsh Assembly Government. The English and Welsh versions ‘Hau Hadau: Medi‘r Newid: Arloesi trwy Ddysgu Gweithredol‘ – will become available simultaneously on the day.

The book has been compiled by Agrisgôp project manager Eirwen Williams of Menter a Busnes and David Pearce, of Ashridge Consulting, who trained group leaders to deliver the concept of action learning.

“This book is written from the heart by the people involved, revealing their hopes, efforts, doubts, uncertainties, successes and tribulations. It concerns the renewed challenges faced by the farming community in Wales,“ says the book cover.

The foreword is by Elin Jones, who states: “Farmers are, on the whole, receptive to new ideas and challenges. They are most receptive to opportunities that arise from discussions with fellow-farmers.

“Groups of like-minded farmers brought together to find solutions and identify opportunities will always stimulate action and improvements to farming practice or farming productivity.

“The future of agriculture is in the hands of farmers, not any Government. Welsh farmers need to shape and embrace that future together.“

Part of the Welsh Assembly‘s Farming Connect programme, Agrisgôp provides farmers with an opportunity to develop their skills, confidence, ideas and future plans for their business.

Learning by working together in small groups with leaders appointed by Menter a Busnes, each member joins Agrisgôp with a business idea, problem or opportunity, which they can discuss, develop or overcome.

More than 170 groups have been set up since 2003 and the project has acted as a springboard for a host of exciting new business ventures in Wales. They include local co-operatives to market regional Welsh Lamb and Welsh Black Beef, a hydro electricity scheme, a restaurant in a converted barn, a brewery in Pembrokeshire, a butcher‘s shop in Merthyr Tydfil, a biofuel group in Denbigh and the recognition of new sheep breed society on the Eppynt Hills.

The book took two years to complete and is written in a narrative style by many of those involved in the project, which continues to prosper and attract international interest. It is dedicated to the late Meinir Evans, a founder Agrisgôp leader.

Mrs Williams revealed that the idea for the book came from a professor at an international action learning conference in England two years ago. “It is a way of capturing what has been achieved to date and, hopefully, will inspire other farmers in the future,“ she said.

“Agrisgôp continues to focus on Welsh farming families, enabling them to discover new approaches in their quest to continually make progress in their farming businesses,“ said Mrs Williams. “It helps to generate creative business ideas and gives farmers the confidence through a group setting to develop them.

“We bring groups of farmers together and ask questions so that they come up with the solutions. The project has vastly exceeded our expectations in terms of supporting the personal development of farmers and their families to achieve their ambitions.”

Notes:

‘Seeds for Change – Action Learning for Innovation‘ will be launched by Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones in the S4C building on the Royal Welsh Showground at Llanelwedd on Tuesday, July 20 11am. Interviews with both English and Welsh speakers will be available before and at the launch.

Agrisgôp is delivered by Farming Connect, which is funded through the Rural Development Plan 2007–2013 financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Please contact either Eirwen Williams, Menter a Busnes‘ Head of Rural Programmes, on Tel: 01970 636295

e-mail eirwen.williams@menterabusnes.co.uk or Duncan Foulkes, public relations consultant, on Tel: 01686 650818 or e-mail: duncan.foulkes@btinternet.com.