I'm Huw.
Why I came home to farm, and what I'm trying to build.
Why I started
For years, I became increasingly frustrated by the idea that people needed to move away from eating dairy and beef to protect the environment. I'd spent 13 years working on a commercial dairy farm, and I knew that not all farming systems were the same. I believed then, as I do now, that grazing animals managed properly can play an important role in looking after our countryside. Healthy soils, thriving wildlife, functioning grasslands and better water management are all things I want farming to contribute towards. I wanted to show that producing food and improving the land don't have to be competing ambitions. I'd studied engineering and had opportunities to pursue a different career, but I always found myself drawn back to our family farm in North Wales. It was where I wanted to be. Eventually, I decided to stop thinking about what farming could look like and try to build it myself.
"What started with four Red Poll heifers has grown into something much bigger."
Starting with four heifers
Before I took over, the farm was rented out. Bringing it back into our own management meant giving up a reliable rental income and taking on the financial responsibility of livestock and running a business. I started with four Red Poll heifers. I didn't have a large dairy operation, a processing business or an established customer base. I had an idea of the kind of farm I wanted to create, and I decided to build it gradually. I left a well-paid job with good prospects to give Pentrefelin the time it needed. Looking back, the biggest investment hasn't just been money. It's been the years of work, the opportunities I've passed up and the determination to keep going when things haven't been straightforward. I've tried to grow the business as I've learned, investing more as we've proved there is a market for the food we produce.
What makes it worthwhile
Today, the herd has grown to more than 100 cattle. Seeing those animals out grazing and knowing that I built the herd from four heifers is something I'm incredibly proud of. But some of the most rewarding parts of Pentrefelin have happened away from the fields. We've developed a loyal local customer base, giving people the opportunity to buy seasonal food grown and produced close to home. We've also built relationships with cafés and hospitality businesses that share an interest in quality, provenance and how food is produced. I particularly enjoy seeing younger customers and businesses take an interest in what we're doing. Farming sometimes feels disconnected from the modern food market, but I think there's a real opportunity to bring the two closer together. Knowing that people genuinely value the food we're producing makes the hard work worthwhile.
I think farming has enormous potential, but I also think we need to be more open-minded about how we operate and how we connect with the people buying our food. I've never been particularly interested in building a business that depends entirely on competing in global commodity markets. I'm much more interested in how we can make better use of the land, skills and food production capacity we already have here in Britain. That means understanding what modern consumers want, building relationships beyond the farm gate and creating businesses that can be environmentally responsible and financially sustainable. Access to land remains one of the biggest challenges, especially for anyone trying to establish or grow a farming business. I recognise how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to return to Pentrefelin. I want to make the most of that opportunity, and eventually help create more opportunities for others.
"I don't see Pentrefelin as the finished product."
The bigger picture
I don't see Pentrefelin as the finished product. My long-term ambition is to develop a farming and food business operating across multiple farms, producing food directly from the land and connecting it with customers through farm shops, hospitality partnerships and other routes to market. I'd like to reach a point where the business can invest in acquiring land of its own, securing its future and demonstrating what productive, regenerative farming can achieve at a greater scale. I'm under no illusion that this will happen quickly. It will take years of work, sensible investment, the right relationships and plenty more lessons along the way. But I believe the opportunity is there. For me, success isn't simply about owning more land or having a bigger business. It's about building something that produces genuinely good food, improves the land it manages, creates opportunities for people and can sustain itself financially for generations.
People and ideas
I enjoy sharing knowledge, learning from other farmers and connecting with people who have different ideas. As a Farming Connect mentor and a director of LandLinked CIC, I work to connect people with land, nature and food production. If you share these interests or want to discuss how we might work together, I'd love to hear from you.