Goldsland Farm in Wenvoe, near Cardiff, is a farm that has played host to perhaps the broadest array of visitors that any Welsh farm might have seen throughout the years. Annually the farm opens its gates to hundreds of members of the public on Open Farm Sunday (OFS), while a generation of local school children have stepped off minibuses onto the yard for what – in many cases – will be their first experience of a working dairy farm.
Politicians – from candidates to heads of state representing every colour of the political rainbow from Cardiff Bay, Westminster, Brussels and further afield - have donned their [one suspects hastily bought] clean wellies for a look around the cows. Trainee junior police officers, on the other hand, have done their best to dodge any mud or muck to protect their pristine white trainers. International dignitaries and ambassadors have been offered a cup of tea in the farm office.
The farmyard has been the backdrop for a multitude of high-profile interviews with celebrity presenters, vegan activists, reality TV stars and investigative journalists. There’s even the odd farm vet, feed rep and a milk tanker driver who make an appearance, too!
‘Who lives on a farm like this?’ The answer to that Lloyd Grossman-style question is, of course, Abi Reader, the newly elected President of NFU Cymru.
Abi's journey
It’s been quite the journey for her to get to this point. For more than a decade she has embraced the opportunity to show the public how their food is produced, whether that be through events like OFS or through her own social media accounts. The passion and eloquence with which she has been able to tell the farm-to-fork story – and the ability to tell those stories to a non-farming audience in an informative, non-patronising manner - is something that has seen her profile steadily increase across traditional media, too. Last year she was dubbed ‘Wales’ most iconic farmer’ by a podcast host. Although it’s a monicker she is quick to laugh off, it’s hard to ignore that she’s now a well-known farming figure not just in Wales, but across UK agriculture.
Before we start our formal interview, I ask the question that you should ask anyone who seems to achieve so much in the same 24 hours a day that the rest of us have at our disposal: ‘Where do you get your energy from?’. The word ‘coffee’ is on the tip of her tongue, but doesn’t leave her lips. The answer is, in fact, much more profound.
“It’s difficult to put into words,” she replies. “The alarm goes off at 4:15am when I’m milking and I may be feeling shattered, particularly if I’ve been at a meeting or an event the night before. But then the minute I step outside and breathe in that fresh air, see everything that's going on… it's just such a joy to be on the farm and to be around the cows. That feeling makes you want to do anything you can to keep being able to do this job that we all love.”
About the farm
Abi farms in partnership with her parents and uncle. She and her father, John, have been responsible for the 200-cow summer grazing herd, while her uncle Rob’s main focus is on the arable side of the business; approximately 150 acres that is on a rotation of wheat, barley and maize.
Three quarters of the herd are Holstein Friesians and the other quarter are Dairy Shorthorns. All the cows at Goldsland Farm are descended from either her grandfather’s herd or her mother’s parents’ herd. “My dad bought the very last two Dairy Shorthorn cows from my mum’s mother when they gave up farming and I think it’s lovely that we’ve got those bloodlines here,” she says.
The herd is milked in a 20/20 GEA Westfalia parlour, with each cow producing around 8,800 litres per year. Milk is supplied to Muller Sainsbury’s. Infrastructure on the farm is very much a mix of the old and the new. A 120-cubicle shed was erected five years ago while at the other end of the farmyard, some calves are kept in Grade II-listed stone barns that date back to the 1800s.
“I went to an inner-city school in the middle of Cardiff when I was growing up. It certainly wasn't seen as a viable career for a girl, or anyone for that matter, to be going into farming. That sort of career just wasn't on anybody's radar. If you wanted to aspire to be something then you were going to be a solicitor, or a doctor, or a dentist or something along those lines."
Abi Reader, NFU Cymru President
For someone who can often be found in that milking parlour wearing a beanie hat emblazoned with the slogan ‘I Love Cows’, you’d assume that Abi was always destined for a career in agriculture.
But despite a happy childhood growing up on the family farm in Wenvoe and memories of helping in the sheep shed at lambing time with her sister Jessica, who’s now a vet, she admits that a future in farming was not always on the cards.
Education
“I went to an inner-city school in the middle of Cardiff when I was growing up. It certainly wasn't seen as a viable career for a girl, or anyone for that matter, to be going into farming. That sort of career just wasn't on anybody's radar. If you wanted to aspire to be something then you were going to be a solicitor, or a doctor, or a dentist or something along those lines.
“I remember being on a gap year after finishing my A-Levels, I was helping out a little bit on the farm and I had a part-time job at Marks & Spencer but I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do.”
University
It was during a chance phone call, when Abi was making polite conversation with the caller until her father came to the phone, that the possibility of agriculture college was mooted. It turned out to be a lightbulb moment for Abi.
“I decided to give it a go and it was the best thing I ever did,” she recalls of enrolling on an Agriculture degree course at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester. “I knew the moment I stepped on campus that it was where I wanted to be. I absolutely thrived in college; I found out who I was.”
It was at RAU where Abi would come under the tutelage of the late Professor John Alliston, the Dean of the School of Agriculture, someone who she says inspired her learning and the ensuing journey she would take into farming.
“He took me under his wing and opened a lot of doors for me,” she said. “He used to go off to all sorts of events and I would be lucky enough to be one of the students who got offered the chance to fill a space in the car and go along. Even though I was really shy, I would force myself never to turn down an opportunity as I was so curious about this industry and I would meet so many interesting people and learn so much. It did a lot to develop my confidence.”
Abi stayed at RAU to study a post-graduate degree in Farm Business Management, going on to win the RAU prize for the most prospective farm manager. That time at university, Abi acknowledges, was fundamental to shaping the career she has gone on to forge, so it is perhaps fitting that in 2024 the RAU recognised Abi as the university’s inaugural Alumnus of the Year. RAU Chair of Governors Dame Fiona Reynolds said: “Abi is a persuasive and articulate voice for farmers. She is through and through a generous, committed advocate not only for farming now but for building a sustainable future.”
Joining NFU Cymru
That advocacy and willingness to defend and champion Welsh and British agriculture at any given opportunity is likely one of the qualities that has seen her rise through the democratic ranks of NFU Cymru at break-neck speed, having only become actively engaged in active union lobbying since 2012. She recalled: “I went up to London when the SOS Dairy campaign was reaching its pinnacle. I got really enthused by the energy there and this ability to be able to make things happen for the better. That's what got me involved and I’ve been involved ever since.”
Within six months of having attended her first NFU Cymru Glamorgan county meeting, she accepted an invitation to fill the vacant Vice County Chair role. She admits she was ‘terrified’ when she first had to stand up and speak at a meeting, so much so that she went to extra lengths to ensure she was up to the job.
“I determined I would have to massively sharpen my skillset to be able to better serve the farmers of Glamorgan, so I went on a couple of leadership courses to improve my capabilities,” she adds.
She served as NFU Cymru Glamorgan County Chairman between 2013 and 2016 and also had a long stint as a member of NFU Cymru's Dairy Board, where she was elected board chair in 2019.
Her election to the NFU Cymru presidential team came in 2021 when she was elected as NFU Cymru Deputy President alongside NFU Cymru President Aled Jones.
Just a year into her new role, Abi got what she says was her ‘first real taste’ of lobbying and campaigning as NFU Cymru Deputy President. She and then NFU Cymru President Aled Jones were propelled into the national limelight at the Royal Welsh Show in 2023. Just a week before the Llanelwedd event, Welsh Government had released the latest development of the Sustainable Farming Scheme framework following the second phase of co-design and consultation. Those plans included the controversial 10% tree cover targets that would become a divisive issue for farmers across Wales.
First taste of lobbying
On the eve of the Royal Welsh Show, Abi and Aled Jones announced in an NFU Cymru press conference that they were unable to join the scheme as it did not make ‘business sense’ for their respective farms. In doing so, they were echoing the views of thousands of farmers throughout Wales, most of whom were not wholly opposed to tree planting, but were simply unable to forego 10% of their asset in order to join the scheme.
Three days of media mayhem and difficult discussions with government were to follow.
“It was the right decision,” explained Abi. “We felt we had to make that statement because we could see that 10% tree rule was a huge problem for our members. The scheme simply wasn’t going to work for them. I think it was all the more frustrating given only a year or so before we had shared with Welsh Government our Growing Together tree planting strategy, which mapped out how Welsh farms could sustainably increase tree cover without hindering their production and bottom line. So to see that the new scheme plans were such a huge departure from what was realistic and achievable… it had people very worried.
“We said what everyone was thinking, but doing it through NFU Cymru, a day before the biggest agricultural show in Europe, gave the story a huge voice and meant our message reached far and wide. Our members were really positive and thankful for the stance we had taken. It was a real example of speaking truth to power and ultimately, I think it worked.”
The divisive tree 10% planting requirements were eventually shelved and 2026 saw the long-awaited scheme begin. NFU Cymru maintains that the scheme is not perfect, but the union is committed to working with Welsh Government to making changes where they are shown to be needed.
Reflecting on the Sustainable Farming Scheme journey, Abi said: “Redesigning a bespoke Welsh farm support scheme having left Europe was never going to be easy. There have been several times when the industry has been in a very difficult place since that vote to leave the European Union which set this train in motion. Credit must go to my predecessor, Aled Jones, who has been across every detail during the scheme development process and who has had such a significant role in getting us to where we are today. I think that we're really in a good place now. Having farmers acknowledged as farmers, not land managers, is an example of how big the shift has had to be.
“We know there is still room for improvement with the SFS and it will remain one of the big things on my to-do list as President, just like it was for Aled.”
Bovine TB
Another area of concern for hundreds of farmers across Wales is the continued spectre of bovine TB, which is still claiming the lives of thousands of cows every year. It’s an area that Abi’s family, sadly, know only too well themselves. Abi says their own experiences of bovine TB have been ‘some of her most difficult times in farming’.
Listing some of the issues she and many others have faced, she said: “The shooting of in-calf cows, dealing with severe overcrowding, endless communications through the post – nearly all of which lacked any empathy whatsoever and some carrying an accusatory, rather than supportive, tone – and that’s just some of the heartbreak.”
She acknowledged that it remained ‘a difficult outlook’ for many of those businesses impacted by bovine TB – not least those suffering long-term TB breakdowns. Abi does, however, think it’s important to recognise some of the wins of the NFU Cymru Bovine TB Focus Group which your peers to put their faith in you.
“I guess what I’m most pleased about, though, is what it has meant for other women in the industry. Our AI technician, who incidentally is our first female AI technician, told me how chuffed she was that the industry has a female leader. We happen to have a lot of women in our workforce at home and it seems to be something that has given them a lift, too.”
In fact, Abi says being a woman in what – at least at one time – was seen as a male dominated industry has never been an issue for her.
She added: “In some respects it took me a long time to notice. I think it’s because it never really bothered my father. I look back now at the events or meetings he took me to when I was younger and the likelihood was that on many of those occasions I would have been the only female farmer there. But it never once made a slight bit of difference to him and it never stopped him taking me. I was never in an environment where I didn’t feel welcome.”
Looking forward, Abi says she is keen for the wider NFU Cymru team to input into the direction of travel for the union and the industry. It’s a philosophy that’s been instilled in her from a young age and a value she still places great importance in.
Motivations
“When I was at school, I was painfully shy. The idea of walking on stage in the school play and having to speak in front of people, for example, would scare the life out of me. I think the school took pity on me and gave me the role of stage manager and I was chuffed to bits, because it meant I could still take part and be part of the team. I’ve learned a lot from that.
“Being part of a team is such a big motivator for me. Whether that’s here on the farm when we’re milking, Cows on Tour or NFU Cymru, I love being able to involve lots of people and work together because that’s when you achieve great things. We have some incredibly talented, dedicated and passionate people across our boards, working groups and county structure. I want everyone to feel that they can play a part and make a difference.”
She’s keen, too, to involve young people in the union’s work and ensure the next generation of Welsh farmers are heard. Again, it’s an ethos that's already in place and successful at home on the farm and one she hopes she can replicate within NFU Cymru.
“We’ve always given young people the chance to come and work on the farm. Many years ago we had a 17-year-old turned up on the farm from the nearby golf club, asking if we could give him a job. That was nearly 40-years-ago and he’s still working with us today. Then likewise for me, two years ago a 16-year-old turned up on my farm and asked the same thing. I’m not sure if it’s a case of history repeating itself, or perhaps word gets around. But the thing they both have in common and what is most pleasing is that neither of them are from farming backgrounds and yet they wanted to come into the industry.
MBE
“It just fills me with absolute pride to see youngsters come to work with us and watching them become confident young people. Even after they leave, many of them still keep in touch to tell me how they’re doing, or to share when they’ve had a hard day. It’s a special feeling knowing you’ve helped someone on their journey.
“At NFU Cymru we have the brilliant Next Generation Group which has already seen so many talented young farmers become fully invested in the union in the longer term after their time with the group is over. These young people are the lifeblood of the union and our industry and it’s really important to me that we do all we can to make NFU Cymru a place where young farmers actively want to come and be involved in shaping their futures. That pipeline of talent is so crucial.”
So what would Abi the bashful Cardiff schoolgirl say to the fact that her older self is now the leader of a major lobbying organisation, has been awarded an MBE for services to agriculture and never turns down those public speaking opportunities that she used to be petrified of?
“I think she’d be absolutely dumbfounded! I don’t think anybody would ever believe that would be possible. I've changed a huge amount during that time and my confidence has grown. I guess it just goes to show what can happen when you’ve got an appetite for learning and improving yourself. Most of all I’m beyond proud to be doing something that I’m really passionate about, which is speaking up for this industry.”