About Us

Welcome To Dyfed Smallholders Association

Founded in 1986 we are one of the oldest smallholder groups in the UK, our membership covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and even further afield. People often assume that to join a Smallholders’ Society you have to be a knowledgeable, fully-functioning smallholder keeping a variety of different animals and be in possession of all the latest machinery and clothing to match. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Dyfed Smallholders Association is for anyone who is interested in the countryside; whether you’ve got 200 acres or a window box for salad there is lots that might interest you, see our  ‘A-Z Gallery’ page.

Some of the benefits of membership are:
♦  A chance to meet people who are interested in the same things as you are
♦  Our monthly newsletter
♦  Regular meetings featuring guest speakers
♦  Hosted events such as our summer farm visits
♦  Access to our help-lines
♦  Classified Ads

From September to May we meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 8pm at Bancyfelin Village Hall. Usually there is a speaker on a subject that is generally related to smallholding, livestock, or crafts. These are a fantastic opportunity to meet other like-minded people for tips, information and for a chat. Admission to the meetings is free for members or £2 for non-members. You are welcome to come along to see us or sign-up on the door. Details of forthcoming meetings can be found on the Whats On page.

During the summer months we run a programme of farm visits and training events usually on a members holding.

Every year, we run a busy schedule of social events. These include specially arranged visits to sites and farm walks across our area. Other popular events are our Summer BBQ’s, Christmas gathering and New Year lunch.

If this sounds like it’s for you, please see the benefits of joining the Association.

Whats On

We are now at our new permanent base at Bancyfelin Village Hall for our Autumn/Winter meetings on the second Wednesday of each month from September through to May.

The schedule for 2023 is as follows:

12th April – Introduction to Bee Keeping – Everything you need to know to get started in keeping bees.  Will cover the equipment, the costs, how to obtain bees, the Bee cycle, harvesting honey, and there will even be honey tasting.  Held at Bancyfelin Village Hall starting 8pm

23rd April – Basic Goat Keeping– An on site (farm) visit, where you can learn everything about keeping goats.  More details in the monthly newsletter

10th May – Smallholding Record Keeping – Everything to do with record keeping and complying with the various regulations.  Held at Bancyfelin Village Hall starting 8pm

28th May – Farm Walk– Visit a fellow smallholder, see what they are doing, ask questions, and get advice.  More details in the monthly newsletter

10th June – How to put up livestock fencing – Held on a smallholding, an introduction to the various elements of putting up stock fencing, including post driving, types of fencing, tensioning, and the various tools. More details in the monthly newsletter

24th June – Basic Chainsaw– Covering how to use a chainsaw safely, different models of chainsaw, how to maintain (and sharpen a chainsaw) through to hands on usage.   More details in the monthly newsletter

TBC July – Horticulture Farm Walk – Held on a commercial Horticultural smallholding, see what they are doing, ask questions, and get advice.  More details in the monthly newsletter

12th July – DSA BBQ – Join other local smallholders for a beer and a burger, swap stories, get advice, and make new friends.  More details in the monthly newsletter

TBC July – Smallholding Nursery – Held on a commercial smallholding Nursery, see what they are doing, ask questions, and get advice.  More details in the monthly newsletter

TBC July – Horticulture Farm Walk – Held on a commercial Horticultural smallholding, see what they are doing, ask questions, and get advice.  More details in the monthly newsletter

TBC Aug – Trailers (and how to reverse them)– Join other local smallholders where we cover all things Trailer – from different trailer types, maintenance, and most importantly, how to reverse them – with practical advice and an obstacle course to practice in.  More details in the monthly newsletter

TBC Aug – Smallholding Farm tour – Held on a smallholding , see what they are doing, ask questions, and get advice.  More details in the monthly newsletter

TBC Aug – Tree Felling – Held on a smallholding , help bring down a dead ash tree, and gain both knowledge and experience on the safe way to take down a large tree.  More details in the monthly newsletter

13th Sept – Willows– An evening covering everything about Willows – how to grow them, how to harvest them, and how to make useful items (both big and small) from Willow. Held at Bancyfelin Village Hall starting 8pm

30th Sept – Smallholding Preserving – Held on a smallholding  covering all methods of preserving food, from dehydrating through to American pressure canning.  More details in the monthly newsletter

11th Oct – Horses on the Farm– An evening talking about everything to do with keeping horses (of different sizes and breeds) on your smallholding. Held at Bancyfelin Village Hall starting 8pm

 

Details of these events will be available to members through our monthly newsletter.