A NORTH Pembrokeshire tenant farmer, Jeff Evans, 51, has been elected by the Pembrokeshire Executive Committee of the National Farmers Union as county branch chairman for the coming year.

He has succeeded Walter Simon of Angle and will have as his vice chair, Claire Morgan of Haverfordwest.

A grassland management award winner Jeff was a founder member and is past chairman of the 120 strong North Pembrokeshire Grassland Society and will continue in his role as secretary. He is also joint chair of the South Wales bTB eradication delivery board which was set up by the Welsh Government in 2008 to investigate regional approaches to dealing with the disease.

Succeeding his parents, Mansel and Jean Evans - who farmed the holding for 30 years from 1970 - Jeff was granted the benefit of a farm business tenancy of Broadmoor Farm, which extends to around 100 acres, and is one of a dozen or more farms owned by the Pembrokeshire County Council in the Wolfscastle area north of Haverfordwest.

In addition to the home farm, two further block of 32 acres and 100 acres are rented within a short distance and a 250 acres holding is rented some five miles distant.

When he took over from his parents the dairy herd amounted to some 70 cows with followers but Jeff, and his wife Elinor, replaced the 8/4 milking parlour with a 24/12 set up at their own expense in 2002.

The dairy herd now numbers 180 Holstein Friesian and a few Jersey milkers, run on a low cost system averaging 5,800 kilos, together with around 160 dairy followers. The spring calving herd begin calving during the first week of February and are all dried off by early December having been housed from November 1.

At the 250 acre holding, much of which is utilised for winter forage conservation, a suckler herd of 55 April calving Limousin cross cows are mostly outwintered on stubble turnips and baled silage with the progeny carried forward to finishing weights.

Jeff says: “The system works very well and we are assured that we will have constant grass growth until late summer when we may top up with the spinner”. The pastures are rejuvenated as necessary by direct seeding and have been much admired by visiting groups of farmers including a number from Ireland.

Jeff is an active member of the Grazing Dragons Discussion Group which, through monthly meetings, specialise in exchanging information on Spring calving herds, and he is also joint chair of the South Wales bTB eradication delivery board which was set up by the Welsh Government in 2008 to investigate regional approaches to dealing with the disease.

The Evans’s have five sons, Ioan, 13; Iago, 11; Iolo, nine; Ifan, eight, and Ianto, six, all of whom show quite exceptional musical talents with the harp, violin, bass, drums, etc and also achieving singing successes at eisteddfodau.

Elinor, who is well qualified in bio-chemistry, gave up a highly paid post as a member of the Pfizer medical research team specialising in heart and diabetes problems, in order to raise her family. She now works from home supplying top quality home made cakes and confectionery to corporate, retail and private customers.