2:19pm Monday 22nd March 2010
THE dream of an idyllic place in the country with a few chickens and pigs, a couple of beehives, perhaps some sheep and goats or even an alpaca or two, could become a reality following a visit to this year’s Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival.
More and more people are discovering the joys of growing their own, especially so in the current tough financial climate, and there’s no place like the Festival for encouraging those with a passion for the ‘The Good Life’ to take the crucial step.
The show’s media partner is Smallholder magazine and smallholder.co.uk, and editor Liz Wright says the annual show is geared for the smallholder and gardener.
“There’s everything you’ll need to get started in country living, with experts on hand to answer questions including the Smallholder magazine team,” said Liz.
“There is also a property road show where visitors will be able to discover how to buy or rent a smallholding, and you can keep up to date with all the show news at smallholder.co.uk or RWAS.co.uk.
Now one of the most popular attractions in Wales, the Festival takes place on the Royal Welsh showground at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Saturday-Sunday, May 15-16. It is expected to attract more than 25,000 visitors and new features have been added, including a scurry driving competition.
There’s also a blacksmithing and farriery competition, which is part of a programme of demonstrations organised by the Welsh Farriers and Blacksmiths Association.
A Spring poultry Show is also being introduced in partnership with the poultry Club of Wales.
Festival Director Dr Fred Slater said the Festival will be “entertaining and educational and a breath of country air for visitors.”
As well as scurry driving main ring attractions will include dog agility displays, a falconry demonstration, a parade of vintage machinery and the ever-popular sheepdog demonstrations given by Meirion Owen and his Quack Pack. There is also a premier open dog show.
Livestock are an important feature of the Festival and sheep, pigs and goats, including Pygmy, Dairy, and Angoras will be prominent again this year and there will also be promotional stands for various breeds of cattle and sheep, llamas and alpacas.
The Festival stages a huge range of miscellaneous attractions and displays from beekeeping and rope-making to shearing and ferret racing, and many organisations relating to animals and the countryside such as the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and the Hill Pony Improvement Society of Wales, will have a presence on the showground.
Farmers Markets in Wales will be located in the Royal Welsh Food Hall with a range of food and drink on offer.
There is also a property road show where visitors will be able to discover how to buy or rent a smallholding.
The Festival caters particularly well for children with special entertainments on the Village Green and, for adults, a folk dance festival featuring groups from around Britain and Eire will take place in the showground’s Montgomery Pavilion.
Trade stands form a big part of the Festival many of them catering for the needs of smallholders and gardeners and selling equipment, animal husbandry products, vegetable seeds, plants, flowers and trees. The Floral Hall with its competitive trade stands, information centres, woodland craft displays and Gardeners Question Time, will be located in Floral Hall 1. Enthusiasts will find an extensive display of vintage machinery on the showground. There will be an auction of vintage memorabilia and poultry and farm equipment will also be auctioned on the Sunday of the event.
Daily admission to the Festival costs £10 for adults and £5 for children. Family one-day tickets for two adults and up to four children (5-16 years) cost £25 and weekend caravanning and camping is available at £35 per pitch.
“Everyone can be a smallholder in some way – smallholding is a way of life whether you have a back yard or five acres, there is something for everyone,” added Liz.
Smallholder magazine is available at or can be ordered from leading newsagents, supermarkets or through the subscriptions hotline 01823 365203 or click on smallholder.co.uk/subscribe.
If you have a story for Smallholder, contact editor Liz Wright on 01354 741538 or e-mail liz.wright@smallholder.co.uk or editorial@smallholder.co.uk.
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