THE new chairman of the elite farming ‘think tank’ Future Farmers of Wales is Joy Smith, a dairy farmer from mid Pembrokeshire.

Joy runs a 200 cow dairy unit in partnership with her mother and brother. She is married to Michael, also a dairy farmer, and they have a young son, William.

Future Farmers of Wales is a non-political body of young farmers set up in 1988 and acts as a lobbying body answerable to its members, ready to meet the challenge of farming in the future. It meets regularly, has regular meetings with Welsh Government and has achieved recognition by the Unions of Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, the WDA and educational organisations in England and Wales.

Joy has a degree in Agriculture with Business Studies from Aberystwyth University and, following her time at university, she worked on dairy farms and travelled throughout New Zealand and Australia. She is a past member, chairman and treasurer of Llysyfran YFC and is currently an active club leader.

During 2012/13 she was chairman of the North Pembrokeshire Grassland society, and remains an active member on the executive committee. Joy said she is honoured to take on the role of Future Farmers of Wales chairman, following in the footsteps of some very capable farming contemporaries.