THIS month’s Winter Fair will be the venue for the final of one of Wales’ most prestigious farming titles – Woman Farmer of the Year.

Organised by NFU Cymru and now in its 14th year, the competition aims to celebrate the often forgotten contribution that women make to Welsh farming.

Previous winners have gone on to hold key roles in the industry and win other awards.

Representing the farming women of Powys is nominee Lynda Jones of Ddol Farm, Llanbadarn Fynydd.

Lynda and her family are one of the largest free range egg producers in Wales with five units and 74,000 hens. She employs five part time ladies and six young people. A housewife and mother of three teenagers, Lynda also helps with lambing the farm’s 2,500 sheep.

She is also past president of the local YFC.

NFU Cymru deputy president Stephen James said: “When shortlisting, we as judges looked for women who demonstrated the part they play in making the farm a successful economic unit, their contribution to improving the role of women in farming and their involvement in local community life and other organisations."

“It was very difficult to whittle the finalists down this year,” admits Andy Woodthorpe, NatWest's agricultural director, the competition's sponsor.

"But they all have one thing in common - complete commitment to their farms and to the industry as a whole."

The winner will receive £500 and an engraved crystal fruit bowl, while the runners-up will receive £100 each. The judges will carry out on-farm interviews with the shortlisted candidates before announcing the winner on the Monday of this year’s Winter Fair.

The Winter Fair is running at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on Monday and Tuesday,  November 29 and 30.