Cylch Bwyd is all about getting people of all ages and from all walks of life, out onto the farm, to experience the whole food circle - growing, nurturing and eating delicious, seasonal, healthy food, produced in harmony with nature.  

It is also about connecting with our farming communities, local growers, smallholders and food producers, so we can explore together how to build more resilient local food economies. Working from the ground up, we hope to offer support with diversification into farm gate sales and the creation of local food hubs, making locally produced food more accessible to shoppers and helping small producers find new markets for their produce.

We will be working with our neighbouring communities, local schools, young farmers, community, youth & home-ed groups to create an off-grid, sustainable, community growing area at Pentwyn where people will be able to come together and learn a whole range of skills, from soil preparation, water management, pond creation, agroforestry, species rich hay meadow creation, growing food with nature and of course ecological monitoring and surveying. 

Our workshops are already underway, with a series of five winter fermentation sessions running monthly through the winter. By learning to make our own sourdough bread and store nutrient-packed foods without refrigeration, the workshops aim to make us more food-resilient as individuals and as a community, in the face of a changing climate and an uncertain world.  

And of course, fermented food is amazing for our gut. It all links in - soil health, our health and the health of our natural world.

Future workshops will be imbued with the seasons, built around growing food with nature and embracing local heritage crafts. Hedge laying, pond digging, dry stone walling and willow work are all on the agenda – stay in touch with the events page to see what's coming up and get in touch if there is anything you would particularly like to see happening at Wilder Pentwyn – janet@rwtwales.org.  

The Cylch Bwyd project is big, exciting and ambitious, and to make it happen we will need people power! The project will be powered by a team of volunteers with a broad range of skills and interests, people who would like to get out into nature and work together towards a better future for ourselves and our amazing wildlife. Everyone is welcome, everyone has something to give – again do please get in touch – we would love to hear from you. 

We will be holding a monthly series of volunteer days over the winter with a few Saturday open days – perfect opportunities to come along and see what we're up to. The first open day in early October was heartwarming – thanks to everyone who came to share in the scything, the moth trapping, the Kelly kettle nettle tea making and especially to our dowsers who actually found a viable water source in our community growing field using a couple of wire rods! 

What a joy it was to share delicious, locally made cakes and bakes and stories and dreams in the outdoor classroom in the October sunshine, against the great, peaceful, nurturing backdrop of Wilder Pentwyn Farm.  

We look forward to welcoming you to Wilder Pentwyn Farm soon – the Cylch Bwyd project is here for us all – growing, eating, learning and building stronger communities, around food and nature, together. 

With heartfelt thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund for making it all possible.