Coleg Elidyr Camphill Community

Contact: Ab de Bree

Rhandirwyn, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, SA20 ONL
Tel:  01550 760400    
Email: abdebree (at) care4freenet

Coleg Elidry is a 185 acre (75ha) upland farm, situated in the Welsh hills.  The farm consists of a variety of natural habitats as various soil types are present around the farm.  Main enterprises are: Suckler beef cattle ( Welsh Blacks) , sheep and field vegetables.  Aside from these a small herd of pigs and flock of laying hens are being established.

Some of the farm is in the Tir Gofal scheme; a welsh grant scheme to encourage biodiversity and natural habitats.  The farm's situation in a remote valley immediately below the Cambrian Mountains means that a wealth of wildlife and plant species are to be found.  The farm has been run as organic / bd since 1975 and is at present at a stage of redevelopment with new enterprises being developed.

The farm is part of Coleg Elidyr Camphill Community which is a further education college for around 40 students with learning difficulties.
The farm has 2 functions: providing a place of learning for the students and providing the community with farm produce. As the farm is one of the areas where students receive training we aim to manage the farm in such a way that variety of work experiences and learning opportunities exist for the students to enjoy while practicing sound biodynamic farm husbandry.

The apprentice will mainly be concerned with helping the farm manager with the running of the farm independently of the student's training programme but may be asked to assist in working together with the students from time to time.
There is a separate Farm Training Leader on the farm whose responsibility is for the training of the students to enable the Farm manager and apprentice to manage the farm independently from the students needs and timetable.

Apart from the farm, the college has a number of different workshops and land work groups.  The farm works together closely with the vegetable garden, woodland group and estate group.  Altogether some 100 people work at Coleg Elidyr, including the students, making it a sociable, stimulating environment.  The apprentice is invited to fully participate in the life of the community and can expect a training programme in a variety of farming disciplines.