'It was heartbreaking when our sons asked how many more of our cattle have gone to the abattoir'

If you'd met Rhodri Phillips a few years ago you would have been chatting to him at one of the most devastating and challenging times of his life.

The family dairy farm in Carmarthenshire was in trouble and over a period of about three years had lost 250 head of stock that led to a critical rethink of the future of the business and ultimately a change in career for Rhodri and his wife Bethan.

Rhodri, aged 49 and from Carmarthenshire, says: "When we lost all our cattle to suspected TB it was devastating and so we decided then that we didn’t want to go through it emotionally or financially again - it was just too much, so we decided to stop farming completely." For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here

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"At that time we talked to the boys about the future, and we have always tried to keep them away from farming as it is such a tough life, and we’re lucky as they’re quite academic so with that we decided then to sell part of the land and rent out the rest.

"This meant we could change our lives completely and go into a family business of carpentry and metalworking, which we did anyway when it was needed on the farm and we have an interest in this type of work so it suited us."

Looking back at the stressful time when the farm's cattle were being tested for Bovine TB is emotional for Rhodri, as his herd began and continued to be destroyed.

He says: "If there’s an outbreak in the area, say if your neighbours have got it, then all neighbouring farms need to be tested, or if you’re moving stock from the farm you’ll be tested as well, a pre-moving test, and normally those are fine it’s just a matter of making sure it doesn’t spread then.

"I was losing about 30 to 40 at a time and they were taking all the young stock, and that was what was frustrating, the first time calvers and the heifers and those cattle at that age are under stress anyway from coming into the herd so then the skin test reacts a bit more so they show a lump, so that didn't give a true test result.

"The Department of Health's argument was that they couldn’t prove that this stock did have TB but we couldn’t prove that they didn't, so it was a bit of a stalemate really. Every six weeks they came back to test all the cattle until we had a clear six months. Out of the cattle taken for slaughter only four showed possible lesions but then the news came back from the lab that they were all clear as well, but by then it was too late."

One of the most heartbreaking moments was when the couple's sons Guto and Garan would come home from school expecting the worst case scenarios. Rhodri says: "It was so stressful and when we were having the tests, how the boys reacted to it was coming home from school and asking ‘how many are going to the abattoir today?’ so they were expecting the loss as if it was a normal part of farming, which is not right.

"By the end we were down to about 120 stock left and the trouble was they were taking the younger stock so the herd was getting older so it was so much harder to make a living out of them. We had tough days, we’ve all had tough days, but the support from my wife and the boys has always been great, the people around us totally understand because they’re in farming as well."

Rhodri and the family were at a major crossroads at this point and it was at this time they went through a process of looking at the options to think of a new direction, a new career totally away from farming.

"We’ve been brought up to be quite strong and positive, we know what has happened has happened, so we just carried on in a new direction, there's no point in dwelling on the past.", Rhodri adds.

That new direction of making homeware accessories from wood, metal and resin led to the landmark day when the family decided to take a stall at the Eisteddfod in Pontypridd where a TV celebrity spotted their work and offered them an incredible opportunity.

Martin Roberts, TV presenter from BBC's Homes Under The Hammer and property expert was also at the event and spotted the family's stall and now wants Rhodri to build the top of the new bar in his now pretty famous Rhondda Fawr valley pub renovation. Find out more about Martin's Welsh pub and hotel renovation here.

Rhodri says: "We’re about 15 months into the process of building this business called Rhyd so we decided to have a stall to showcase our woodwork and metalwork including working with resin and that’s what Martin saw.

"My son talked to him first of all and he didn’t know who he was but I recognised him and we chatted and he explained what he wanted and if we’d be interested in having a go at working on the bar. We’ve never done anything like this before, we mainly do home accessories but were very happy to give it a go if he wanted us to.

"About a month after the Eisteddfod he sent me an email with the plans and we went up to the pub to see it and get an idea of the area and the property, where the bar will be too. It’s the showstopper as you walk through the door, so no pressure then!

"It’s a bit of a challenge but we will make sure it works, it shouldn’t be that hard, it’s just making sure the resin comes out exactly how he wants it and to make sure it cures and hardens before we start moving it."

Rhodri says they will be making the bar out of oak and then inserting a flow of resin through the middle that will be blue to represent and connect to the waterfalls that surround the pub.

He is supremely calm about the project and very excited to be involved in this high profile renovation, and says the bar has been planed and is ready for resin insert but at the moment the weather is a bit too cold, adding, "But the most important part is making sure the measurements are all correct before we do start pouring."

The chance meeting with Martin is likely to help Rhodri's business flourish even more and he is very optimistic about the future but will talk about the past if it will help even just one person get through a challenging period in their lives.

He says: "We’ve always had the mentality that there’s always someone worse off than you are, so don’t complain about it too much, just work hard and carry on, support each other, have a dream to work towards and carry on. I like to say 'Daw eto haul ar fryn', that is that the sun will shine on the hill again and it helps if you can keep that in mind and believe it." For more property stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here.

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