NFFN Cymru Manager Rhys Evans reflects on a recent farm visit to Neuadd Wen Farm with Vikki Howells MS, who is Welsh Labour Spokesperson for Environment, Rural Affairs, Energy and Transport, and member of the Senedd's Climate Climate Change, Environment, Sustainability and Rural Affairs Committee. 

At Neuadd Wen Farm in Llanharan, a working sheep farm managed by the Lewis family, the connection between farming, nature, and policy is very much a practical one. NFFN recently welcomed Vikki Howells MS and Senior Advisor Robin Lewis for a farm walk, providing an opportunity to see firsthand how commercial agriculture and nature restoration can work hand in hand. 

Nature-friendly farming in action

Once managed as a single large, ranched parcel, Neuadd Wen has undergone a remarkable transformation. With support from capital grants, Tom and Nicola Lewis have planted trees and established miles of new hedgerows to subdivide the land. This infrastructure now supports a rotational grazing system for their commercial ewe flock, significantly boosting both grass yields and local wildlife. Notably, the farm operates completely without synthetic fertilizer.

As Nicola explains, “Food production remains central to the farm, but environmental work has actively supported it, creating mutual benefits for both the business and the natural landscape.”   

Tom and Nicola emphasised the critical role hedgerows play in catching runoff and preventing downstream flooding in the lower fields and farmyard, as well as providing shelter and shade for livestock This demonstrates how environmental management can offer direct practical benefits for farm resilience. Looking ahead, these improvements are key to future-proofing the business for the next generation, ensuring a resilient and sustainable foundation for when their son, Morgan, takes over the reins.

"Losing three meters of field width to a hedgerow is a minor sacrifice for the major benefits in flood mitigation and biodiversity," Tom underlines.