Carruan Farm, near
Polzeath in Cornwall, is the perfect place to learn about life on a
farm, the food we eat, where it comes from and how it is produced.
Mike and Clare Parnell, who run the farm with help from their
family, welcome visitors young and old to come and enjoy a hands-on
farming experience.
Carruan is part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme and is
therefore farmed in an environmentally friendly way, helping to
preserve the countryside around it. Clare and Mike grow barley,
oats and forage crops such as kale and stubble turnips on the land,
which is also home to 950 Poll Dorset ewes and a herd of 25 beef
suckler cows. Poll Dorset ewes can breed at any time of the year,
and as such, Clare and Mike are able to supply Waitrose with lamb
earlier in the year than most other farmers. Waitrose sell Clare
and Mike's lamb as 'Dorset Lamb', and in 2009, Carruan Farm won the
Waitrose Dorset Lamb Producer of the Year.
Carruan offers visitors a variety of entertainment, with Pedal
Go Karts, an indoor Play Barn, and Pig Racing and Tractor Rides
during the summer months. The Farmhouse Kitchen serves locally
sourced, home-cooked food - including Sunday roasts and summer hog
roasts - and the fully licensed patio bar enjoys spectacular views
down over Pentire Point and out to sea. Carruan can also cater for
weddings, children's parties, meetings and school visits. The
school visits are very popular, covering a wide range of topics
from discovering where our food comes from to crop cycles and
caring for the countryside.
Cornish Mutual provide the Parnells with a range of insurances,
including public liability because the public
visit the Farm, buildings insurance for their house and farm buildings,
and a fleet policy to
cover the vehicles used on the farm.
The family has insured with Cornish Mutual for many years; Clare
and Mike have been Members for around 20 years, and Clare's father
insured the farm with Cornish Mutual before that. Clare says, 'When
we diversified the farm, we were very keen for Cornish Mutual to
provide for our new insurance needs. We did consider other insurers
but we have a proven track record with Cornish Mutual, and they
were able to quote us for everything we needed - something we found
few other companies could do. Things can change week by week at
Carruan - one minute we're buying Pedal Go Karts, the next we've
organised Crazy Football. We don't understand enough about
insurance to know what cover we need, and that's when Jim becomes
invaluable.'
Jim Martin (pictured with Clare and Mike) is a Senior Insurance
Inspector for Cornish Mutual. He is Mike and Clare's first contact
whenever they have any questions or need any advice about their
cover. 'We often depend on Jim's advice.' adds Mike, 'As farmers,
we knew little about the legalities of opening up our property to
visitors."
Every so often, Mike and Clare contact other insurance providers
for comparative quotes - ultimately, however they always favour
Cornish Mutual. Clare says, 'To us, it's important to support other
Cornish businesses. We have also found Cornish Mutual to be very
competitive, and we like the fact that Jim is local and able to
visit us on the farm. He understands our business completely, and
that is essential in our minds. We would never choose an insurer
based on price alone - the service element is much more important
to us.'
Jim adds, 'Being able to go and assess a business in person
means we are able to provide a more personal service to our
Members. Clare and Mike have established a wonderful Farm Centre at
Carruan and we have a really good relationship. I have even taken
my own children to visit the farm; they loved it, and I have to say
the food in the Farmhouse Kitchen is absolutely delicious!'
For more information about Carruan Farm, including opening times
and prices, please visit http://www.carruan.co.uk/ or call Mike and
Clare on 01208 869584.
