Caroline Dawson (pictured with Matt Baker), agri-food consultant at Farming Connect, said: "I feel hugely privileged to have met each of the brilliant candidates and played some small part in a process that will lead to a life-changing opportunity for the ultimate winner or winners."
Working with aspiring tenants and farmer-turned broadcaster Matt Baker was a 'huge privilege', according to an agri-food consultant and diversification specialist.
Caroline Dawson, leader of Farming Connect's Agrisgop - a Welsh Government fully funded action learning programme for farmers and growers - has taken part in the popular series Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker and recently spoke about the experience.
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The series follows seven candidates hoping to earn a 15-year tenancy at a 248 hectare National Trust farm in Eryri National Park, formerly Snowdonia.
Location of Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker
National Trust Cymru purchased the farm in 2012, following a successful public appeal.
Until 2020 they ran it in partnership with Wales YFC, after which it was managed by five YFC scholars through subsequent shorter-term tenancies.
The conservation charity now wants to hand over the reins longer term, giving the new tenants sufficient time to combine sustainable land management and conservation principles with developing a resilient, profitable, diversified farm business.
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In addition to managing the farm's sheep flocks, they will need to implement a new business plan which capitalises on the high number of tourists who visit Eryri each year.
Eryri National Park
The steep surrounding land is insufficiently productive for large stock numbers but there is significant potential to diversify.
"Presented by popular tv personality, farmer and countryside expert Matt Baker, this year's ‘dream farm' with its mix of mountain pasture, woodlands and lowland is in one of the most jaw-droppingly spectacular locations in Wales," Ms Dawson added.
National Trust Wales
"Acknowledged as the opportunity of a lifetime, a 15-year tenancy of the 248-hectare farm, which includes a beautifully refurbished house and numerous outbuildings owned and managed by National Trust Wales, is the amazing prize up for grabs.
"Farming Connect has also been part of the selection process."
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Ms Dawson, a former national farmer of the year, was invited to mentor and tutor the aspiring tenants in an on-farm workshop she designed and led due to her experience of running an agri-food consultancy since 2018.
"I asked each member of the group to sketch a picture of themselves and list their strengths," she added.
"There were lots of incredulous laughs at first but they all quickly realised the real challenge had started.
Tenacity of tenants
"It is not easy to describe yourself in a way that demonstrates what makes you more knowledgeable, more focused, more tenacious and more able – in other words the best tenant - to manage this amazing farm."
Ms Dawson's day-long workshop, which took place in one of the farm's specially re-purposed ‘picture perfect' barns, was observed by eagle-eyed judges Giles Hunt, land and estates director for the National Trust and Trystan Edwards, general manager for Eryri National Trust Cymru and Mr Baker.
The winner of what was formerly known the Prince's Countryside Fund Rural Business Start Up Award put the final seven hopefuls – whittled down from the original 11 applicants – through a series of exercises.
She devised activities that required each contestant to explain how they planned to capitalise on the opportunities to attract, accommodate and manage revenue-earning activities for the nature lovers, walkers, climbers, cyclists and water-sports enthusiasts who flock to the area every year.
Each candidate had to demonstrate their vision, showing they had the confidence and ability to produce and implement the best business plan to preserve the heritage of the farm with its unique biodiversity, while safeguarding its long-term viability through tourism.
Every programme in the current series features various challenges and practical exercises with applicants, eliminated one at a time, until the names of the winner are revealed in the final episode of series two.
Ms Dawson said: "Tenancies of this calibre are extremely rare.
"I feel hugely privileged to have met each of the brilliant candidates and played some small part in a process that will lead to a life-changing opportunity for the ultimate winner or winners."
