Highfield
Farm is a traditional small 118 acre mixed organic farm situated on
the outskirts of the picturesque port of Topsham in Devon. It has
been owned and run by the same family since 1939. Since 1987 the
farm has been certified organic by The Soil Association, and today
it is run by the fourth generation, Ian and Lyndsay Shears and
their young family.
Currently Highfield Farm rears organic cattle, including native
breed Gloucesters, and produces organic wheat for milling and
organic barley for animal feed. As part of the Year of Food and
Farming initiative Ian has built a mobile bakery with a wood fired
oven which he takes to schools as part of a "Seed to Loaf
Roadshow"
His workshops allow children to see and experience the whole
process as a sheaf of wheat becomes a loaf of bread - from grinding
the grain, to making dough and baking for themselves - over the
last eight months over 4000 children have experienced Ian's
roadshow.
Well placed for local service
Ian recently moved his insurances to Cornish Mutual due to the
local personal service offered by our Insurance Inspectors.
He says:
"Although our farm is traditional in agricultural terms - like
many others in Devon and Cornwall we have diversified into many
different areas - office lets, a caravan site and school visits. It
is essential all these enterprises are correctly insured and this
is where I find my local inspector to be invaluable in offering
prompt quotes and cover."
Ian has taken out insurance to protect his farm, home and
contents, commercial activities and very importantly public
liability - essential for his school visits - and Cornish Mutual
was so impressed with his work, it offered help towards
costs.
He explains:
"I hope to work with many more schools this year as I feel so
strongly about reconnecting children with agriculture and locally
grown foods. I am very grateful to Cornish Mutual for their
sponsorship of this project and feel secure in the knowledge that
the range of risks that I insure with them, like my liabilities and
property, are well protected."
For further information on Highfield Farm telephone 01392
876388 or visit www.highfieldfarm.org
To find out more about Cornish
Mutual's support for SW farming, click here
