Tyddyn Teg
Tyddyn Teg
Tyddyn Teg is a cooperatively run 30 acre agroecological vegetable farm near Caernarfon that supplies 170 vegetable boxes a week into the local community as well as providing a farm shop, on-farm bakery and vegetables for local shops and restaurants.
Nestled between the stunning Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park mountains and the Menai Straits they are showing that vegetable production is something that can be done in Wales in harmony with nature, whilst providing employment for a large number of people on a small amount of land. Eleven members now earn a living from the farm which also offers traineeships for new entrants every year.
“Many of our former trainees have successfully entered the industry, but in most cases either by joining our co-op, or by seeking subsequent further training at other farms.” Jamie Stroud, Tyddyn Teg.
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On the farm
On the farm
Tyddyn Teg grows fresh produce all year around, both in the field and in polytunnels. They do this without the use of agrochemicals and employ farming techniques such as crop rotation, cover cropping, under sowing some crops with clovers, minimum or zero tillage and maintaining habitat for beneficial insects and other animals. Overall, around 5 acres of land is in vegetable production and the rest is managed for biodiversity.
A third of their land is woodland and they have planted more shelter belts and hedges and the land is alive with the sound of birdlife. All crop waste on the farm is recycled in some way, either by composting or directly reincorporating into the soil. The agricultural inputs are mostly “waste” products of one type or another – manure, woodchip from tree surgeons, and municipal waste compost.
“To me, agroecology means using a scientific understanding of living things and natural processes to deliver high yields of good quality food in a way that is indefinitely sustainable, and does not generate negative consequences for people or the natural world on or beyond the farm.”
Jamie Stroud
Community
Community
Their main aim is to keep improving access to fresh vegetables for their local community whilst looking after the environment. They are dedicated to developing their community space to host events, engaging both their members as well as the local community by hosting volunteering days, community dinners, school visits and open days, promoting good food and good vegetables. They recently established a “Community Solidarity Fund”, which will use funds raised from events and forthcoming community share scheme to fund projects and activities that benefit the local and global community.
With the village shop now closed, the on-site shop at Tyddyn Teg has also become an integral part of the community providing a much-needed service to residents in Bethel and the surrounding area.
Cooperative
Cooperative
“Our neighbouring village does not have any shops, and members of our local community told us how much they appreciated the fact that they could get essentials from us this during the covid lockdowns of 2020, when they may have been reluctant to travel further afield to supermarkets” Jamie Stroud.
The Tyddyn Teg cooperative model provides a living wage for all their members, enhances the Welsh language ability of members and develops a land share offer to keep the land serving the community.
Equality
Equality
“A core principle of our business is equality (of power and pay) between members, in contrast to a system with owners, managers and employees. This helps to ensure that all members of the co-op take a long-term view, and are motivated to act in the interests of the business as a whole. Every member has control of and responsibility for some part of the operation, which we believe makes for a more satisfying experience than a situation where workers have little or no input into decision-making” Jamie Stroud.
Tyddyn Teg members also recently secured funding support from the Welsh Government’s Horticulture Development Scheme to improve the irrigation capacity, which they believe will significantly increase their yields of some crops.