Farmer Stories - Owain Lewis, Garth Villa

Owain doesn’t come from a farming family or background but fell in love with the industry when he worked as a relief milker on a local farm. His passion drove him to work multiple jobs to fund setting up his own calf-rearing business. He was buying and selling calves through local markets but was looking for something that would give a better idea of margins before taking the risk of going to market and in September 2023 he found Warrendale Wagyu. At 21 Owain is the youngest calf rearer, and one of the youngest partners, in the Warrendale Wagyu supply chain. He applied for Oxbury bank finance at 17 (the bank’s youngest ever applicant for the scheme) which enabled him to build his wagyu herd. Alongside two other jobs, he now rents sheds to house his cattle. His business plan is built around his partnership with Warrendale; the scheme’s set prices were crucial for Owain starting his farm from scratch. Owain said: “I was very impressed by how it’s all fully integrated and that you work to set prices. Taking the guesswork away has helped me to budget and allowed me to have a good understanding of the margins before I sell anything. “I weight the cattle every couple of weeks and have a good idea as to what I will get when I sell. “The reps are very helpful when it comes to sourcing calves and also in sending them on to the next stage. All of this combined eliminates the usual stresses of buying and selling at livestock markets – for me and for the calves. I would thoroughly recommend the scheme to anyone." Another highlight for Owain is the temperament of the breed, he thoroughly enjoys working with wagyu cattle. He said: “They are very kind, friendly animals that perform well. From my experience, they’re a hardy and adaptable breed that cope with movement well." For more information about the Warrendale Wagyu scheme, visit wagyufarmers.co.uk