Tudor Rodderick
I grew up on our family beef and sheep farm in the Brecon Beacons and I will be the 4th generation farming here. Growing up on the farm I developed an early love for agriculture. I pursued this academically through attending Hartpury College and then Aberystwyth University. In 2023, I was fortunate to receive a HCC scholarship where I travelled to Australia to look at how they have been breeding sheep for better resistance to worms. During my travels I saw first-hand the power of performance recording to drive genetic improvement in the sheep industry.
Outside of farming, I enjoy trail and cross-country running and this year, I completed the 22-mile Man vs Horse race in mid Wales. I’m always looking to broaden my perspective and learn from others in agriculture around the world. I see this as a chance not just to travel, but to bring back ideas and inspiration that can benefit both my own farm and the wider farming community.
I am very grateful to the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society supported by the Eira Francis Davies Bursary for their sponsorship.
Can low input forage based livestock systems be key to business resilience in a changing climate?
Royal Welsh Agricultural Society
Study Overview
On our home farm, we are increasingly experiencing the impacts of more extreme and unpredictable weather patterns. Prolonged periods of hot, dry summers—such as those in 2022 and 2025—have significantly hindered grass growth, while increasingly wet winters are shortening the grazing season and driving up wintering costs. These conditions pose considerable challenges for maintaining a low-input, forage-based livestock system.
Through this study trip, I aim to investigate how farmers in other regions are successfully adapting their systems in response to climate change. This includes exploring the use of more drought-tolerant forage crops, implementing adaptive grazing strategies, and enhancing livestock genetics for greater resilience.
The primary objective is to identify practical, cost-effective, and scalable solutions that can be trialled on our farm and shared with the wider farming community. By learning from others already tackling similar issues, I hope to bring back insights that will help future-proof forage-based livestock systems in the UK.