Solar helps future-proof broiler business for young farmer

Farming in Powys, Mid-Wales, 2023 Farmers Weekly Young Farmer of the Year Reuben Powell says he is doing all he can to future-proof his 100,000-bird poultry business.

This is against a backdrop of uncertainty for Welsh farming when it comes to government support,

He is in the middle of lambing his family’s 2,000 ewes on their 300ha farm near Newbridge-on-Wye, and has been focusing on expanding his solar offering to power his poultry enterprise.

See also: Farmers Weekly Awards 2023: Young Farmer of the Year

Self-sufficiency

“The greatest challenge with the poultry is trying to keep costs in check,” says Reuben, who has battled significant input cost hikes over the four years since establishing the broiler units.

“The biggest increase by far has been the additional government charges on energy bills, with the largest increase being the standing charge, which jumped from £2.63/day to £19/day before Christmas,” he explains.

Reuben has installed a 250kW solar array coupled with 250kW of battery storage, and the sheds are heated with ground-source heat.

“I’m hoping the solar battery system will really prove its worth this summer,” he says.

“An energy-monitoring system is being installed in the next week or two, which should help keep track of consumption and help run the site more efficiently.”

The data this provides should also allow Reuben to reduce the size of the national grid connection allocation for the site and, in turn, reduce the standing charge.

“It was a no-brainer as soon as finances allowed to invest in some solar, and this is something I’m definitely looking to invest in more in the future – particularly now that I have some battery storage,” he says.

Expansion

“It’s a tricky time to be farming in Wales. We have no idea what the future of government support will look like,” Reuben adds.

“Expansion is always the plan. I would like to focus on growing the sheep side of the business, but definitely wouldn’t rule out expansion with the broilers too.”

In the meantime, he will be making use of funding on offer through the Welsh government’s “Growing for the environment” scheme, trialling three fields of herbal leys for the first time this spring.

“I will be planting it in some of my damper clay ground in the hope it may help to reduce worm burdens in grazing lambs,” he explains. “It will be interesting to see how it performs.”

Shearing diversification

Shortly after the pandemic, Reuben took the reins of his family’s longstanding diversification – The Welsh Sheeptacular.

It is a showcase of 20 different sheep breeds and a shearing demonstration that forms a key attraction at the Royal Welsh Show. 

“It was great to get some more bookings last summer,” says Reuben. “We finished the show season with an appearance across the border in Herefordshire at the Kington Show.

“It went down really well, and we had large crowds. The FW Young Farmer of the Year Award has definitely helped in that aspect, and got my name out there.”

In light of the recent Welsh farmer protests, Reuben says the Sheeptacular is more important than ever when it comes to bridging the gap between farmers and the public, providing a much-needed window into sustainable Welsh sheep farming.

“Now, more than ever, we need to be showcasing our industry to people. It is actually quite reassuring talking to the public,” he says.

“They realise farmers are having a hard time, and they appreciate what we do and why we do it. It’s great to get the message out there and show people the good side of British agriculture.

 “It is vital for them to have an understanding of what we do and what we produce.”

Reuben is currently taking bookings for the 2024 summer show season, and is looking forward to returning to the Royal Welsh later in the year.