MBE for farming stalwart Dennis

Among the showbiz and sporting A-listers and politicians receiving New Year’s Honours is a local man that has dedicated his life to farming, and making sure farming voices are heard.

Dennis Matheson has been awarded an MBE in the King’s list, recognising his six decades of farming that started way back in 1962 in Ireland to this day in rural Montgomeryshire.

Mr Matheson, from Montgomery, is chair of Tenant Farmers Association Cymru which provides dedicated advice, information and support to all non-land-owning farmers in England and Wales. He received the award for services to the tenanted agricultural sector in Wales.

Mr Matheson started farming on a mixed organic farm in Ireland in 1962. After University, he moved to Australia spending 18 months working on sheep and cattle stations and wheat harvesting.

Then followed six years with a mineral exploration company where he was responsible for negotiating compensation for landowners.

In 1974, he returned to the UK to run two North Wales dairy farms, and in 1982 he became a partner in a tenanted livestock farm under the same ownership in our Welsh Borders covering 737 acres. 

As a committed conservationist, he participated in a major British Trust for Ornithology study of Meadow Pipits.

In 2011, he became chair of the Tenant Farmers Association Cymru and is passionate that tenant farmers have access to good advice and a strong voice with the Welsh Government.