Shaping the Wild: Wisdom from a Welsh Hill Farm

by David Elias

What can one Welsh hill farm tell us about how we can help nature to thrive? In recent times, farming has often been viewed as harmful to nature and the environment, causing friction between those wanting to protect wildlife and the farmers whose livelihoods depend on upon the land. Conservationists and governments frequently propose well-meaning ideas and policies to enable farming and conservation to work together, but all-too-often these do not have the intended results. At the heart of this is a lack of understanding about the realities of farming life and managing the land for nature. In this captivating debut, conservationist David Elias explores a farm in the Snowdonia National Park and unpacks what it shows us about the gritty reality of trying to reconcile hill farming and caring for nature. Visiting through the seasons, he forms a deep relationship with the land and the people who work it, coming to understand their particular way of life, history and concerns about the future. It is also a farm rich in nature and he brings his experienced eye to how its habitats and wildlife have been shaped by changing farming practices over the generations. Through lyrical prose and first-hand conversations with farmers, Elias also shows what current government policies have achieved – or not achieved – and why it is so important for us to understand what it really takes ensure farming families remain on the land while simultaneously allowing nature to flourish.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

232 pages, Hardcover

Published April 27, 2023

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farming in this country over the past century has been incredibly harmful to the natural world and the wider environment. Vast quantities of lethal chemicals are sprayed on the land and this has resulted in massive drops in invertebrates and subsequently birds and other animals.

Getting various stakeholders to work together in making these landscapes more nature friendly and to still work for the farmer and their livelihood is fraught with difficulty. The fundamental problem with all of these schemes is that neither side has a full understanding of the implications of any changes that are made.

To try and understand the juxtaposition between farming and nature and the best way of making it work for both, David Elias spent a long time on a farm in the Snowdonia National Park. This farm has been in a family for a long time and he visits many times between 2015 and 2021. Each visit helps him understand the long relationship that they have had with this landscape and how intimately involved the people are.

But getting people to change their outlook takes a lot of time. The farming community is often doing these things because they have a financial incentive via subsidies, what Elias wants to see is the wider community understanding that they are a small but integral part of the solution and want to do these things for themselves.

One of the ways that Wales is doing this is through a unique piece of legislation that they have called the Well-being Of Future Generations Act. This places the obligation onto public bodies to ensure that what they do is sustainable and restores and improves biodiversity. This coupled with their Environmental Act means that the system is geared to improving rather than draining resources for commercial gain. We could do with something like this here, but I can’t see it happening anytime soon..

When it comes down to it, the world is essentially local, and all the better for being understood that way

I thought this was a very interesting book in lots of ways. However, I did feel that there weren’t many practical solutions offered, but I get that he is treading a very sensitive line and offering any suggestions that may be taken the wrong way by people who rely on this way of life for a living. Imposing a new way of life on any people is not the right way of going about things. What Elias has done in this book is show that listening to those that inhabit the land and making small but subtle changes can have a big effect on nature. But, and this is most important, both sides need to work together for the greater good.

[Lovis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sachbuch über Landwirtschaft in Wales, hab viel gelernt! War sehr schön geschrieben, hatte allerdings manchmal etwas zu viele Infos für meinen Geschmack (vor allem Zahlen)
Buchaufbau war aber toll und es war tatsächlich auch spannend!

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, my book was the paperback edition, which along with another 2 books read this month, has not made it onto Goodreads database. A rethink of their decision not to allow us punters to add books is long overdue.
This is a very good book by an ex professional conservationist (he was warden of the Berwyn Mountains for the Countryside Council) looking at the wildlife and farming practices on a relatively small family farm not far from Bala. Because of the relationship the writer has built up with a couple of generations of the owners, he wanders across the farm and attached open mountain at will and explains to us how nature has been affected, for good and bad, and, with great understanding of farmer’s viewpoints, makes rentative suggestions for the way forward. The Farmers Union of Wales, in their quote on the back cover, sum up the book beautifully: “ ‘Shaping The Wild’ is a captivating masterpiece from which those on both sides of the gulf that sometimes divides farming and conservation can learn much”
Highly recommended!

[Joe Downie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read. Empathic, detailed, thoughtful, insightful. All the things that are needed to help difuse the polarised debate that sees 'nature' and 'farming' pitted against one another when of course we need both.

My only concern is whether it has the potential to breakthrough to a more widespread audience or is the tone just a little too formal, and the sense of place too specific for a nationwide audience to appreciate..?

Look forward to discussing in more detail during Dyfi Green Reads book club.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkably astute and balanced overview of the interplay among nature conservation, agriculture, and Welsh culture in contemporary northern Wales. A combination of personal experience, interactions with local farmers, and policy issues keep the narrative moving along. Immensely readable, this book has value far beyond the local area under discussion. I discovered the book while in Wales for a conference and actually met the author - though at the time, I didn't realize it. Very thoughtful and well worth reading, even far from Wales, as I am in California.

[Roger Morgan-Grenville · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lifetime's love and understanding of nature distilled into one small Welsh valley. Both humble and rather delightful.

[Elsbeth Kwant]

A nice addition to the debate between farmers and naturalists - bridging the gap by looking at the different way they love the land. Clear on the knowns and unknowns, on beauty and threat.