A community farm is celebrating scooping a host of awards after competing at Pembrokeshire County Show for the very first time.

The team at the Mount Woodlands farm garden entered poultry, eggs and heifers in competitions during the three-day agricultural event and was delighted after clinching a third and fifth place with the heifers and a second and third place for bantam tinted eggs.

Pleased with the results, farm manager Russell Lavis said: “It’s a bit of a lift to know someone else recognises our work and it’s a morale booster.

“With more exposure and recognition, enquiries into the work we do is growing,” he added.

The farm was set up to offer practical training and introduce local people to the process of planting, growing and eating naturally-grown vegetables and fruits, as well as rearing farm animals.

Russell hopes to expand the number of varieties of animals at the farm to ensure they have “a representative of everything” and give visitors a complete farm experience.

The team is also hoping to expand in time for next year’s show, with the hope of further success.

Russell said: “We have seen now the work needed to compete at the show and we will be better prepared next time round.”

In the meantime Russell and his team will now turn their attentions to cultivating their potatoes, onions and broad beans, as well as continuing the training of farm staff.

“We are there for the community and if we can help assist in training and offering people opportunities, we will,” he added.

Current initiatives on the farm include 13 chickens hatched with the help of children from the Mount Estate, who are now assisting in their care, and the purchasing of ten laying hens to offer teenagers the opportunity to run their own business, selling eggs.

Chairman of the Mount Community Association Kathy Gray said: “It’s fantastic. The farm teaches them everything from scratch and we have had a lot of enthusiastic youngsters getting involved.”

For more information, contact the Mount Resource centre on 01646 692029.