NSA AGM 2022
11th August 2022
Time: 10.30am arrival for AGM at 11am
Location: Doladron Farm, Pont Robert, Meifod, SY22 6JR
The NSA AGM will take place at 11am on Thursday 11th August, followed by a farm walk by kind permission of Alun & Helen Bennett.
To attend the event in person, please scroll to the bottom of this page and complete the registration form - so we can provide a hot lunch for all attendees.
People unable to attend in person can watch the AGM via Zoom and ask questions via the chat function. However, as the event is on farm and the internet connection may be variable, NSA regrets it cannot guarantee the Zoom facility will work 100% on the day.
To register to attend the event via Zoom, please click here.
AGM information
- Official AGM notification. Notice is hereby given that the 129th Annual General Meeting of the National Sheep Association will be held at Doladron Farm, Pont Robert, Meifod, SY22 6JR, on Thursday 11th August 2022 at 11am. NSA intends to provide an online joining option but this depends on the internet connection on the day.
- The AGM will transact the following business: • To approve the minutes of the 128th Annual General Meeting. • To receive and adopt the Trustees Report and Statement of Accounts to year ended 31st December 2021. • To elect officers for the ensuing year (President and Honorary Treasurer), Vice President(s) and auditors. By order of the Board.
- Members are entitled to submit their votes in advance of the meeting by completing a proxy form or to appoint a person to attend and vote on their behalf. All signed and completed proxy forms must be received by 11am on 10th August 2022. Download a proxy form at the top of this page.
- Attendance is open to all, but only NSA members can vote at the AGM.
Farm walk information
- The farm walk will immediately follow the AGM, at approximately 11.30pm. After that, a hot lamb meal will be provided by the hosts.
- NSA is delighted that Alun and Helen Bennett and family have agreed to open up their farm for what promises to be a very enjoyable morning.
Alun and Helen established their family’s Plasucha Lleyn flock at Doladron Farm and Tynycoed, Meifod, Powys, more than 25 years ago. Since then, the successful Lleyn flock has been joined by several other breeds as the family meets demand for quality genetics across Wales and further afield.
Helen says: “Our aim is to breed quality livestock. A high percentage of all our females are sold for breeding. We try to produce quality breeding animals ensuring no wastage from the farm.” Visitors to the NSA AGM will enjoyed a walk at the farm, viewing some of the family’s 600 Lleyn ewes, 250 Hill-Type North Country Cheviots and small flocks of pedigree Texel and Bluefaced Leicester.
“We were honoured to be asked to host the farm tour following the AGM. Our system is spread over several sites but we will ensure a good selection of sheep were available for those attending to view,” Helen comments.
Ewes at Doladron are bred both pure and also crossed with Bluefaced Leicester rams to produce Mules. A particular market the Bennetts are filling well is that of recipient ewes for embryo transfer, as all stock is maedi visna accredited. All Lleyn and Cheviot ewe lambs are also put to Bluefaced Leicester rams, lambing outside from April until mid-May. The Lleyn and Cheviot ewes scan at more than 180% and Alun and Helen have plans to increase Cheviot numbers.
Alun comments: “The Cheviot is a wonderful ewe. They scan well, don’t receive any concentrate feed and lamb very well. We’ve also found demand for them to be growing.”
While producing breeding animals is the main focus for the family, production of quality finished lambs is also an important part of the enterprise. All stock is finished and then sold at Welshpool or Oswestry market. The quality of the farm’s stock has been recognised with awards including, most recently, the All Wales Hill-Type North Country Cheviot flock competition in 2021.
“We were also really pleased to win the All-Wales Texel flock competition at the Royal Welsh show this year,” adds son Robert.
Having completed a successful show season, including wins for homebred Texel ewe lambs at both the Royal Highland and Royal Welsh shows, attention now turns to ram sales.
Alun explains: “We have selected the very best 50 Cheviot, Lleyn and Bluefaced Leicester rams that we will be offering for sale as yearlings. They are now getting just a little feed to get them in top sale condition. We also sell around 75 pedigree Texel ram lambs each year through ram sales and private sales direct from farm. Our sale season for them starts at Lanark, moving to Welshpool, Worcester and Carlisle.”
As NSA members, Alun and Helen culminate the ram sale season at the NSA Wales & Border Main Ram Sale at Builth Wells.
Helen says: “We have been NSA members for many years. NSA represents us very well as an industry. We need a voice for our sector, and the chance to sell at the Builth sale is also a benefit. We feel the people within NSA working to represent us are good and clearly passionate about the future of the sheep industry.”
