Powys farmers' pub argument turns into turnip competition

What started as an argument between friends and rivals Brian Pryce, of Sybwll Farm, Sarn, and Mark Bayliss, of Coed y Brain Farm, also in Sarn, over a pint at their local pub The Sarn Inn about the best way to establish the crop has turned into a competition.

Traditionalist Brian, who has been farming for eight years and admits never having grown turnips, will be competing against modern man Mark, who has farmed all his life. The pair will find out which acre of crop is triumphant when local farmer and judge Basil Probert picks the worthy winner from midday on Saturday, December 2.

Competitor Brian Pryce, judge Basil Probert, Sarn Inn landlady Leeanne Rogers and competitor Mark Bayliss at Sybwll, Sarn. (Image: Anwen Parry/Powys County Times)

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"Bas is going to look at it from the perspective of being someone who may want to buy turnips to graze for sheep for the winter," Brian said.

"Men, beer and banter has created a bit of a stir and we can’t pull out now. There were quite a few farmers who would have liked to join us but they hadn’t sewn the same week as ours.

"There’s banter about who can get the best advice. Someone said they'd loosen rabbits into my field."

The argument will be settled this weekend about whether Brian's more old-fashioned method using a little Massey Ferguson tractor and a 1960s wagtail spinner to sew the pinhead-sized turnip seeds is better than Mark's £150,000 worth of kit for precision sewing from his contractor.

The Sarn Inn landlady Leeanne Rogers said: "We hope to make it a yearly thing to bring more people into it.

"It’s fun banter. Hearing them speaking about it, I thought this was great. It’s a lovely place to be with laughter and fun times."