To Move to Wales

[TheHateIsNotGood]

Nothing wrong with Wales except I would feel rather ashamed/guilty for moving there because the main reason is that me and ds are no longer able to 'buy into' the agricultural life that we both are suited and qualified for is because the countryside round here in NW Devon is now so gentrified that 'way' of living is now way out of reach.

My understanding is that Wales does encourage livestock farming and we would rather learn from the local wisdom than try and change anything.

IABU - you're just shifting the problem and Wales don't want you
YANBU - worth considering as Wales could do with some more Young Farmers

I would think that breaking in to a rural community would be easier in some areas than others. There’s definitely resistance to incomers who immediately complain about the noise/smells that farming generates, but it doesn’t sound like that’s you.

It will help if you are genuinely willing to learn and conduct your daily life in Welsh.

Why? The vast majority of Welsh people don't.

www.gov.wales/welsh-language-wales-census-2021-html

A lot of the farmers do, @Notpooryet .

The vast majority of rural farming communities do. I wouldn’t say it if she were moving to Cardiff.

Why? I was born and still live in Wales. I'm not Welsh speaking. I've managed just fine not conducting my daily life in Welsh for the last 40 years.

Do you live in a rural farming community?

@Tiredmum100 , are you a farmer or agricultural worker?
@TheHateIsNotGood , have you considered other agricultural areas in the UK?

Tell me you don’t know any Welsh farmers without telling me you don’t know any Welsh farmers

I'm going to disagree with DrMarshaFieldstone and say it really isn't the case that you need to learn Welsh, and I say that as Welsh speaker. I think this way if thinking promotes life in Wales as insular and unwelcoming. In many rural areas there tends to be a larger proportion of older Welsh speakers - but there is nowhere in Wales where English isn't spoken.

I think if you're coming to Wales to actually work in the agricultural industry, rather than to live the hippy dream, you'll be welcomed. Maybe contact the Farmer's Union of Wales if you wanted to find out more. But don't let not speaking Welsh put you off - there are many options to learn if you want to.

Wrong. Thanks for playing though.

You disagree that it would help them to integrate into rural communities if they were willing to learn?

OK.

To be clear: I did not say OP ‘needs’ to learn.

I said it would help.

I stand by this innocuous and perfectly factual claim.

Yes - please come! We need more young people especially farmers. Would be a welcome change from retired people and inject a bit more life into the community.

Speaking welsh isn’t a necessity but the local people would love it if you learnt even a small amount. Rural communities can be very welcoming and through farming you would her to know everyone as they are the local grapevine. Just be prepared for the weather and depending on the type of farming you’re into will depend on where you are. Not a lot of arable farming to be had but plenty of sheeps 😂

Of course it would bloody help. The constant contrariness is fucking exhausting.

Seems so far it's feasible, of course we'd learn the local language, all rural areas that haven't been completely 'taken over' speak at least a dialect.

A bit unsure how we would specifically "conduct" ourselves in Welsh, more hoping to 'conduct' ourselves in the universally-understood way of raising, keeping and growing food in a way suited to the local environment.

At least you won't get confused with the different speed limits as tractors can only go 20mph 😀

You'd be very welcome if you genuinely want to become part of a community. Yes a willingness to learn Welsh will be looked upon favourably with the locals (depending on where you live), but especially if you want to integrate with the farming community.

The problem we have in Wales is incomers who have nothing to do with the community, or lord it over the locals, or buy a second home which then takes away the chances of local families to live there.

As long as you don't do any of those things, then you'll be welcome with open arms. i.e. don't be an arsehole.

@PointerSister - yes, thinking mostly of sheep.

Facts exhaust you? OK then. Maybe don't make snotty assumptions about strangers.

I don't get why you're casting it as a moral dilemma rather than just a practical one? You're allowed to move where you like if you can find someone to sell to you.

I don't believe farmers on the Gower speak Welsh as much as they do in other areas of Wales e.g. Carmarthenshire.

Well, I live in Carmarthenshire, where Welsh is obviously very widely used, and I spent many years living with a Welsh farmer....so yes in the past. Thankfully, not anymore.

I went on holiday for years to a Welsh farm and none of the family, who had been there generations, spoke Welsh.

If you have kids, or are planning to, then you'll be even more popular as you'll be boosting the local primary school intake.

One of the problems with empty second homes is that young families can't live in our villages, which means the local schools close down. Anything to help reverse that is welcomed.