Supporting the next generation of rural leaders at the Royal Welsh Show
At the Royal Welsh Show, the RCF team had the great pleasure of meeting with this year’s cohort of rural leaders – twelve outstanding individuals from across Wales who have been selected to take part in The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s fully-funded initiative.
Earlier this year, the RCF announced it would be sponsoring the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s prestigious Rural Leadership programme. The Rural Leadership Programme is designed to nurture and inspire participants as they develop the skills, confidence and insight needed to progress within Welsh agriculture and rural communities.
The rural leaders were presented at this year’s show at an event attended by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Edinburgh, who met with the cohort and the RCF team.
Read more about the RCF’s support for this initiative here.
The RCF team also had the great honour of presenting this year’s RCF Family Farm Award at the M&S Select Farm Awards. M&S has been a long-term partner of the RCF and their awards celebrate farmers and growers across the retailer’s UK supply base who demonstrate excellence, innovation and a commitment to producing high-quality food.
Keith Halstead presented the award to Eifion and Ann Hughes and their sons, Aaron and Ioan, who farm in Carmarthenshire. The Hughes family have thriving dairy, beef, sheep and egg enterprises and have continued to invest in land, grassland management and livestock enterprises, creating a resilient farming business that is well placed for the future.
The judges recognised the Hughes family’s commitment to securing a successful future for the farm, demonstrating how investment, innovation and strong family values can work hand in hand.
Aaron Hughes, award-winning Welsh farmer, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to receive this award. Farming has always been a family effort for us, and everyone has played a part in building the business we have today. It’s important to us that we continue investing in the farm so it can support future generations, while producing the high-quality food we are proud to supply. To have that recognised by M&S and The Royal Countryside Fund means a great deal to all of us.”
Keith Halstead, Executive Director, The Royal Countryside Fund said:
“Family farms are the backbone of our countryside, and this award recognises those who are building resilient businesses while safeguarding the future of British farming. The Hughes family’s commitment to working together across generations, investing in their business and embracing new opportunities is exactly the kind of leadership we are proud to celebrate through The Royal Countryside Fund Family Farm Award.”
As always, the show was also a fantastic opportunity to speak with farming families from across Wales and meet with the people who support them. We greatly enjoyed speaking with Gethin Havard, 2026 Royal Welsh Show President, Aled Rhys Jones, Chief Executive Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, and Sophie Throup, NFU Director-General.
We also caught up with the team from Tir Dewi who provide vital support to farming families across Wales. The RCF has supported Tir Dewi for a number of years and their team will be playing a vital role in helping us deliver our Farm Resilience Programme in Wales over the next year.
We were also able to speak with rural community groups from across Wales, including Black Mountains College, which the RCF funded in 2022. The organisation offers accredited training in practical skills appropriate for a warming world. Its further education courses include regenerative horticulture, nature recovery and responsible forestry.
We would like to extend our thanks to everyone we spoke with at the show for their valuable insights and the warm welcome they gave us!