Amidst the short hours of daylight, bad weather and lingering lurgy, January can often be a demoralising time for many of us. The farming community is particularly susceptible to such Winter blues; with plenty to be done on the farmyard amidst challenging conditions, as well as often working in isolation for vast hours.

In the face of such strains, it’s vital we remain mindful of our own wellbeing, and a good way to boost our mood and feel more positive is to be active and socialise.

To this end, the Farmers’ Union of Wales is delighted to be hosting an array of farmhouse breakfasts across Wales again this year - providing an opportunity to bring people together over a hot, nutritious meal.

This year we’ll be hosting 25 breakfast events across Wales between January 18th and 25th - from Llangefni to Llanarthne. The breakfasts will be particularly special this year, not only as we celebrate seventy years since the union’s foundation in 1955, but also as we mark fifteen years of county breakfasts, first trialled on a county-level in Caernarfonshire in 2010. Over the past decade and a half, it’s fair to say they’ve grown from strength to strength, and are now a staple in the Welsh agricultural calendar.

We always enjoy starting the year in such a positive way - sharing our thoughts and hopes for the industry and the coming year over breakfast whilst enjoying a variety of Welsh produce including bacon, eggs, sausages, yoghurts, butter and the milk for our tea and coffee. We should not forget that we can and do produce these items to exceptionally high standards here in Wales.

Indeed, the wealth, value and quality of Welsh produce will again be one of our key messages as we host our annual breakfast in Cardiff Bay, too. We look forward to being joined by politicians from all parties again this year, taking the opportunity to highlight that it is more important than ever for politicians and policy makers to fully understand the economic role played by farm support within the context of our rural economy and the crucial role our farms play in driving economic growth.

The breakfasts - dotted in farmhouses, villages halls, cafes and marts across Wales - will also provide an opportunity to raise funds towards charitable causes. Last year, the week helped raise over £17,500 to support the Wales Air Ambulance Charity’s crucial work, and we hope for similar success again this year as we support the charity, as well as other local causes.

We do hope we can see you at our upcoming breakfasts - for full details of location and times, visit the FUW website (www.fuw.org.uk/news) or call 01970 820 820.