Farmers aren’t to blame for climate change

Welsh hill farmers are a hardy lot. Despite the almost mystical and romantic images that come to mind when you think of a Welsh hill farm, the truth is a far soggier affair. People have struggled to eke a living out of what is an extremely difficult terrain for generations, which has, in turn, created the communities and the culture we enjoy in rural Wales today.

Such is the case where I live: a small parcel of land stretching from the river Dee and up the slopes of the Berwyn mountains in the north of Wales.

My father-in-law is the third generation to farm this land. He and those that went before him nurtured this small corner of the earth in order to feed their families and the nation. Things are more difficult today, and many young farmers are seeking alternative employment to subsidise their meagre farming income.

The farm, and the industry, never stands still.