Thoughts on diversification

More and more farmers are now seeking diversification opportunities as a desirable option to add to their current income streams and a large number attending a meeting at the Nantyffin Motel, Llandissilio, last Monday, were interested to learn of a growing demand for grass-fed Wagyu beef which could provide opportunities for livestock farmers to produce this type of animal on their own farms.

Two men, Rob Cumine and Will Prichard - who created Pembrokeshire-based Natural Wagyu and have already established markets - set out suggestions for other farmers to be part of the supply chain.

Originally from Japan, Natural Wagyu supplies London-based Whole Foods, as well as many restaurants and food outlets and that customer base is increasing - most commercial enterprises fatten cattle in feedlots, but Natural Wagyu cattle are fed grass and forage.

Rob said: “We have a couple of options in mind, one of which is to be part of a producer group with Natural Wagyu facilitating the marketing. We have four producers who have already worked with us for some time and we want to grow that number adding that his proposal to farmers would enable them to produce beef in a way that would bring them closer to the end customer.”

The local company has already invested in superior genetics and its bulls are in the top one per cent of the breed globally - Wagyu beef is revered for its incredibly high level of fat marbling.

Also speaking at the Farming Connect diversification event was Justin Scale, of Walwyn’s Castle, who is offering farmers the chance to increase their income by growing free-range chickens on the company’s behalf.

Cultivating pessimism

The national media are in business to sell newspapers on a daily basis and, over the Christmas and New Year period, everyone is joyful and all the news is good bur good news does not sell newspapers. So, particularly at this time, we are bombarded with bad news by the mainstream media, much of which Mr. Trump would rightly condemn as lies. We could scarcely open a paper or turn on the TV without being faced with the latest ‘scare-story’ about a potential flu epidemic, or another bank failure, alarm signals about Brexit added to the national budget’s deficit. Reports giving dire warning of bad times getting worse and no hope on the horizon tended to be prevalent - it seemed as even the mundane stories get a negative spin on them.

Do you, like me, get a headache or feel depressed or stressed after reading the red tops.

It’s because the constant bombardment of bad news by the mainstream media scares people, cultivating a pessimism that at best doesn’t make life any more livable. Those exposed to negativity on a daily basis tend to fall into agreement with the negativity.

For instance, if someone was told every day for a decade that he couldn’t succeed in life, do you think in 10 years he would be successful?

Most likely not. It is a constant invalidation and assault on people’s hopes and dreams for a better future. Why expose yourself to it? Shouldn’t it be possible to inform yourself honestly and accurately about the world and affairs around you, without being bombarded with pessimism and negativity?

Love, in strange disguises

“You don’t love me.” How many times have your kids laid that one on you? And how many times have you, as a parent, resisted to tell them how much?

Someday, when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I’ll tell them:

I loved you enough to bug you about where you were going, with whom, and what time you would get home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover your hand picked friend was a creep!

I loved you enough to make you return the Milky Way with a bite out of it at the newsagents and confess: “I stole this.”

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your bedroom - a job that would have taken me five minutes.

I loved you enough to ignore ‘what every other mother’ did.

I loved you enough to figure you would lie about the party being chaperoned, but forgave you for it… after discovering I was right.

I loved you enough to accept you for what you are, not what I wanted you to be.

But, most of all, I loved you enough to say ‘no’ when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all. (contributed).

Return to true values

A report in the Journal of Dairy Science says a study on consumer perceptions of milk shows the industry researchers at North Carolina State University should focus on the nutrition value of milk, and educating consumers about milk in the light that milk consumption has declined for decades while consumption of non-dairy alternatives has increased.

The objective of the study, which was funded in part by the National Dairy Council, was to determine what drives purchase within each product category.

Based on previous studies, a more targeted evaluation and understanding of why consumers purchase milk, both milk and plant-based beverages, or only plant-based beverages is needed if the dairy industry hopes to maintain or gain market shares of beverage sales.

An online survey showed that a distinguishing characteristic of those who only drank non-dairy plant-based alternatives was that plant-based beverages contributed to a goal to consume less animal products, beliefs about animal mistreatment, and perceived lesser effect on the environment than liquid milk.

Unique to liquid milk consumers was that liquid milk was perceived as a staple food item.

A balanced diet and healthy lifestyle were values for all consumers. Health factors such as lower fat and lower carbohydrates were attributes that drove purchase of non-dairy alternatives.

A beverage that tastes good was a must have for both milk and non-dairy alternatives.

The researchers said the results suggest consumers who drink milk do so out of habit or because they like the flavour.

The authors said the results suggest the dairy industry should focus on the nutrition value of milk and educating consumers about misconceptions regarding dairy milk.

Future beverage innovation, they added, should include the development milk or milk-based beverages that are lactose free or reduced carbohydrate with more protein and calcium.

These could be successful in bringing consumers of both beverages back to solely consuming fluid milk and dairy milk-based beverages

‘Challenge’ helps fund Rally

I hear that the South Wales Holstein Breeders Clubs Annual Dinner took place recently at the Nantyffin Motel, Llandissilio, when members and guests (all smartly attired in their best bibs and tuckers) sat down to what was undoubtedly one of the best meals ever enjoyed at a club dinner.

One of the presidents (John Evans, Maesyrafon) lifelong friends, local boy Bernard Llewellin, of Carreg Cennen Castle Farm, Llandeilo, gave a thoughtful and humorous address of his life as a farmer, pedigree breeder, businessman and political representative of the NFU which was well accepted by those present.

Huw Evans, secretary, remarked that he had one of the easiest tasks of the evening in selling 27 breeding lots (mostly acquired by John Evans, president) to raise funds towards the Holstein Young Breeders weekend rally due to visit South Wales in early August 2019 - a figure of £3,700 was collected which reflected the spending mood of those present who were quite obviously keen to support younger members.

A further £100 was accumulated through Mark Williams’s ‘pound sliding challenge!’

Valuable time

Each day you’re given 86,400 seconds from the ‘Time Bank’. Everyone is given the same. There are no exceptions. Once you make your withdrawal, you’re free to spend it as you want.

The ‘Time Bank’ won’t tell you how to spend it. Time poorly spent will not be replaced with more time. Time doesn’t do refunds.

Time is your biggest gift. Indeed, it is more valuable than money as you can make more money, but not more time. But there is one simple truth: Your time is limited. And one day you will go to the bank and it won’t have anymore for you. And it will be at the exact moment, that you will know the answer to this simple question: Did I use my time well?