Land Use: Agriculture and Farming (Talybont on Usk)
The past pattern of farming away from the fertile Usk valley consisted of the homesteads being situated in the valley bottoms surrounded by enclosed fields called in-by land. Up the steeper slopes was a band of rough but still enclosed ground known as Coed Cae – wooded fields. These bordered the open moorland which was shared with neighbours. The prosperity of the holdings depended on the acreage, soil fertility and gradient. Most strived to be self sufficient in addition to making a profit from grain, sheep, cattle with dairy products, poultry and vegetables – mainly potatoes. Large families and fickle markets meant a hard life for many.
Today some cereals and arable crops are produced on the flood plain of the Usk directly to the north of Talybont with pasture covering the majority of the enclosed land elsewhere. Beef production from single suckled herds (one calf with its mother) prevails with the stock over wintering in large sheds. Sheep dominate utilising the fields with many sent up onto the open mountains in summer. These flocks are territorial (known as Hefted) and instinctively stay in their own area of moorland. Most lambs are born in sheds between February and March but some farmers prefer to let the ewes give birth in the fields later in April. Today large farms are the norm with reliance on contractors in place of full time hired help.
