Days out JUNE 14 Down on the farm Michelle Rushton and her family swap city life for the hill farms of North

MY family and I were gripped recently by pretty town of . the recent series The Hill Farm on Caer Gors Here we met a really interesting guy, BBC 2 Wales. entrepreneurial National Trust tenant Cameras followed farmer Gareth Wyn farmer, Cynan Jones, of award-winning Jones through the seasons as they went company, The Mushroom Garden about their daily lives on their farm in . Llanfairfechan. Cynan and his family grow exotic It was worlds apart from our lives in the mushrooms, such as shiitake and oyster city and seeing the stunning slopes of the mushrooms, normally grown in the Far Carneddau mountains made me hanker East, which he sells throughout the UK. for my homeland of North Wales where I He showed us the containers where he grew up before moving to Liverpool. grows the mushrooms, mimicking nature My children were fascinated by the centre in Nant Ffrancon, in the shadow of – one is cool and damp like autumn programme so I took them on a trip back the spectacular Carneddau and and the other warm like summer. to North Wales to show them where mountain ranges. He explained: “My wife and I were mummy and daddy grew up. The Centre’s facilities provide an interested in wild fungi and foraging so During a spot of internet research, I excellent base for walkers, climbers and we developed a system, growing them Alwyn and Liz discovered there is an actual Welsh Hill field work students and the kids enjoyed on Welsh oak which worked. They had a Farming Experience available. playing with the interactive displays fantastic flavour and we found we could Organised by Celticos and Golygfa and touch screens where you can find produce them at market price.” Gwydyr, the two day tour of Snowdonia information about the mountains. The couple’s children got involved and National Park offers an experience of the Liz pointed out the popular beauty spot they have developed powders and steak Welsh Hill Farming skills, culture, lives of Cwm Idwal, an excellent place to walk rubs which you can add to dishes. He and environment first-hand. It includes apparently and the kids enjoyed a little gave us a little Umami Seasoning to try visiting various farms, meeting farmers run about, splashing in the stream and which is a blend of shiitake and Anglesey and butchers, watching demonstrations, jumping on stepping stones. Sea Salt. sheepdog handling, ploughing with heavy Alwyn explained how the National horses and harrowing, sampling local Trust had been eager to get involved produce and much more. in supporting the Welsh hill farming experience event and our next stop was a look around the workshop and shop Gareth Wyn Jones one of their properties in featuring all manner of locally made slate which was once the home of Thomas products. Firbank, author of ‘I Bought a Mountain.’ Then we were on the road again, for our The Canadian bought Dyffryn Mymbyr last stop to Llanfairfechan and the icing farm at the age of 21 and the book give his on the cake. Here we met celebrity farmer insight into hill farming during the two Gareth Wyn Jones high up on his hill world wars. The Mushroom Garden farm, Tyn Llwyfan. We also visited Hafod y Llan farm, Gareth and his lovely wife Rhian gave which is managed by The National Trust us a very warm welcome and showed who acquired the farm following a huge We also sampled his Umami Chocolates, us around their farm, where we had the campaign for donations supported by created in conjunction with Cariad privilege of watching a calf being born! I called Alwyn Griffith of Celticos and he Sir Anthony Hopkins. As well as being Chocolates, dark chocolate with a We also got to see his sheep, cattle and kindly agreed to squeeze a potted version a National Nature Reserve and Site of shiitake aftertaste – an interesting goats. of the tour into one day for us. Special Scientific Interest, it is also a combination! Daniel and Isla enjoyed chasing the Celticos arranges a number of different working farm and a living, breathing Back in the minibus, we took in sheepdogs around the field and collecting sightseeing and themed tours of North piece of Wales’s rural upland heritage. the colourful slopes of Snowdonia, freshly laid eggs from the hen house. Wales – from castles to nature walks, Farming is practiced in an resplendent with yellow gorse, deep The Jones family have been farming the family tree and heritage tours, such as environmentally sensitive way there green forests, sparkling blue lakes and slopes of the Carneddau mountains for the AmeriCymru North Wales Trail for and the farm breeds traditional Welsh the purple snow-tipped mountains. It centuries. American tourists. mountain sheep and pedigree Welsh really was a sight to behold. Gareth gave us an insight into the Alwyn picked us up in his minibus in black cattle. We stopped at Cae’r Gors in Rhosgadfan, harsh and demanding lifestyle of Welsh Menai Bridge and introduced us to Liz Daniel and Isla loved meeting the jewel in the crown of the North Wales hill farmers, telling us about the wild Davies from Golygfa Gwydyr Tours, a sheepdog Merc and even spotted a burly quarrying landscape and the childhood Carneddau ponies on his land and his social enterprise which offers tours of wild goat before we headed off to the home of Welsh author, Kate Roberts, struggles during the harsh winter of 2013 hidden gems in the region and works in hailed ‘The Queen of our Literature.’ when he lost a lot of livestock and had to close partnership with Celticos. Cwm Idwal The Grade II listed quarryman’s cottage dig lots of sheep out of the snow. Alwyn and Liz took us on a guided tour has been sympathetically restored and Gareth has become something of a of the region. Alwyn says: “This bespoke the cottage, garden and surrounding celebrity due to his daily tweeting and his tour is designed to give visitors a true buildings are now a small museum and snow disaster was well documented on taste of Welsh rural life outside of the community centre celebrating her life BBC’s Country File and has even led to hustle and bustle of the current major and showing a traditional 19th century his first book, Mab y Mynydd/Son of the tourist destinations. smallholding. Mountains. “Tourists will have the opportunity to We popped into the nearby Inigo Above all, it was a brilliant day out. experience first-hand how people live Slateworks cafe for a snack and took Alwyn and Liz were very entertaining and work in Snowdonia and find out with their knowledge and passion for about traditional local skills and what the region and kept me and the kids gives the people of this area a sense of thoroughly entertained. Plus, it was connectedness to the land, a pride of place great to get away from the city and give and cultural heritage.” the kids a breath of fresh air, as well We drove through the Ogwen Valley, one as teaching them about the traditional of the gateways to Snowdonia, with its farming way of life. stunning lakes and glowering mountains. Even though I had been there before, For more details call Celticos on it took my breath away with its rugged 01248 671234, visit www.celticos.com/ beauty. welsh-hill-farming-experience or visit We popped into the new Ogwen visitors www.gwydyrtours.co.uk

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