Powermondial - Fferm Ffactor

Nine episodes, one winner – Fferm Ffactor on TV and S4C/Click online 

Welsh young farmers selected to compete for a Farmer of the Year title reflect on their performances and vent their frustrations while sitting in a tractor cab ‘diary room’ after tackling a range of different farming skill challenges. 

Once the cab door of the Landini Powermondial, has been shut, contestants are free to express their feelings. 

Malcolm Davies bemoans the repeated tasks involving sheep; as a dairy farmer he is obviously not a fan of the species! Others show their embarrassed disappointment when they flop the quiz testing their knowledge of farming facts and figures. 

All express hope that they will get a chance to compete in the next round of Fferm Ffactor. 

The popular show is broadcast through November by Welsh television channel S4C and available to watch online at www.S4C.co.uk/clic with English sub-titles. The contest combines individual skill tests like cattle and sheep judging, quad bike handling and stock valuation, with team competitions to test how well contestants work as part of a group. 

They risk humiliation if they perform an everyday farm task poorly and are summoned to The Shed to be confronted by the judges. But the winner who survives the weekly knock-out competition stands to win a new pick-up truck as well as the Fferm Ffactor Farmer of the Year title. 

The Perkins-engined Landini Powermondial 120 tractor used for the ‘diary room’ and as a backdrop to the tense eviction sequence at the end of each programme, is a familiar sight in north Wales, where much of the series was filmed by production companyCwmni Da. 

“It’s an excellent tractor for this work,” says Anglesey-based Cen Owen, who manages contract operations in the area. “There’s very good visibility for operating a front-mounted mower and a reach arm flail.

“The cab is very comfortable too,” he adds. “So at least the Fferm Ffactor contestants can sit comfortably when they reflect on how well or badly they’ve done.” 

Each of the farmers survived a public vote and an elimination contest at the Royal Welsh Show to get a place in the programme. They introduce themselves in a video on the Fferm Ffactor website by climbing aboard the tractor and telling viewers a bit about themselves. 

Among them are 23-years old Sam Carey from Pembrokeshire and 27-years old Dafydd Evans who has his own trailer-making business. Beef and sheep farmer Brian Bown also competes; and another two contestants are bound to have divided loyalties if they make it through the series – Marian Davies and Iestyn Tegid Davies are married.

(Above): Fferm Ffactor 2011 contestants take a break from filming in Beaumaris , Anglesey alongside their 'diary room' - the Landini Powermondial 120 tractor.

 

(Above): Filming an indoor sequence for the Fferm Ffactor show broadcast on the S4C television channel and online.