The eighth Purple Plaque in Wales was unveiled on September 24th to honour the organic pioneer and dairy farmer, Dinah Williams.
Her plaque was unveiled at her former farm, Brynllys in Dôl-y-bont near Borth, Ceredigion by her daughters Rachel (who went on to found Rachel’s Dairy) and Elizabeth, together with Dinah’s granddaughter Shan – also a woman farmer.
Dinah followed her childhood ambition to be a farmer. Her beliefs in the power of nature and the need to look at the complete food chain to improve human health were key in her work. She believed that the early nutrition of all living things, from plants through animals to humans, is fundamental and this in turn governs how the soil should be managed to produce food.
In 1952 Dinah became one of the earliest members of the Soil Association and Brynllys, her farm, became Britain’s first certified organic dairy farm.
It was as a pioneer in the organic movement that Dinah’s influence has been most marked and her passion and support helped establish organic farming as mainstream in West Wales in the 1970s. She was instrumental in setting up the West Wales Soil Association at this time which was hugely influential in organic development in the UK.
Notably, she was also :
- President of the English Guernsey Cattle Society;
- Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society;
- Lifelong member of the Grassland Society;
- Vocal contributor to the local NFU.
Dinah demonstrated what women could achieve in the 1940s, 50s and 60s when farming was very much a man’s world. She started out by farming with her mother and went on to farm with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, leading to the formation of Rachel’s Dairy, Wales’ first organic dairy brand.
Dinah’s manner was quiet and unassuming, her stature diminutive, but her beliefs rock solid. She left a huge record of public service, but in addition she lent unseen and unrecorded support to those she felt would take the message forward.
Purple Plaques Wales is delighted to add this exceptional woman to our list.
We are also delighted to work with History Points which has provided a QR code along with the plaque: https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=organic-pioneer-dinah-williams-farm-brynllys-borth
Datgelwyd yr wythfed Plac Porffor yng Nghymru ar 24 Medi i anrhydeddu Dinah Williams, yr arloeswr organig a’r ffermwr llaeth.
Datgelwyd ei phlac yn ei fferm gartref, Brynllys yn Nôl-y-bont ger Borth, Ceredigion gan ei merched Rachel (a aeth ymlaen i sefydlu Rachel’s Dairy) ac Elizabeth, ynghyd â Shan, wyres Dinah sy’n ffermwr hefyd.
Dilynodd Dinah ei huchelgais fel plentyn i fod yn ffermwr. Roedd ei ffydd yng ngrym natur a’r angen i edrych ar y gadwyn fwyd gyflawn i wella iechyd pobl yn allweddol yn ei gwaith. Roedd yn credu bod maethu popeth byw yn gynnar, boed yn blanhigion, anifeiliaid neu bobl, yn hollbwysig ac mae hyn yn ei dro yn rheoli sut y dylid rheoli’r pridd er mwyn cynhyrchu bwyd.
Ym 1952, daeth Dinah yn un o aelodau cynharaf y Gymdeithas Bridd, a’i fferm, Brynllys, oedd y fferm gyntaf ym Mhrydain i gael tystysgrif fferm laeth organig.
Fel arloeswr yn y mudiad organig y mae dylanwad Dinah wedi bod fwyaf amlwg, a helpodd ei hangerdd a’i chefnogaeth i sefydlu ffermio organig fel rhywbeth prif ffrwd yn y Gorllewin yn yr 1970au. Roedd yn allweddol wrth sefydlu Cymdeithas Bridd Gorllewin Cymru ar y pryd, a oedd yn ddylanwadol iawn o ran datblygiad organig yn y DU.
Hefyd, roedd yn:
- Llywydd yr English Guernsey Cattle Society;
- Cymrawd y Gymdeithas Amaethyddol Frenhinol;
- Aelod oes o’r Gymdeithas Tir Glas;
- Cyfranogwr brwd gyda’i NFU lleol.
Dangosodd Dinah yr hyn y gallai menywod ei gyflawni yn yr 1940au, y 50au a’r 60au pan mai byd dynion oedd ffermio. Dechreuodd ffermio gyda’i mam ac aeth ymlaen i ffermio gyda’i gŵr, ei merch a’i mab yng nghyfraith, gan arwain at ffurfio Rachel’s Dairy, sef brand llaeth organig cyntaf Cymru.
Roedd Dinah yn addfwyn ac yn ddistaw, yn fach o ran maint, ond roedd yn gadarn ei chred. Gadawodd hanes enfawr o wasanaeth cyhoeddus, ond hefyd rhoddodd gefnogaeth gudd na chafodd ei chofnodi i’r rhai y teimlai a fyddai’n bwrw ymlaen gyda’r neges.
Mae Placiau Porffor Cymru yn falch iawn o ychwanegu’r fenyw anhygoel hon at ein rhestr.
Rydym hefyd yn falch iawn o weithio gyda History Points sydd wedi darparu cod QR ynghyd â’r plac: https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=organic-pioneer-dinah-williams-farm-brynllys-borth