News

As farmers prepare for the new agricultural inheritance tax rules, PKF Francis Clark’s head of agriculture Brian Harvey and Devon farmer Andrew Branton cover the theory and practice of what it all means for family farms on Farming Focus™. 

In a Farming Focus™ episode full of inspiration for farmers and other business owners alike, Pasture for Life’s Nikki Yoxall and Cornish dairy farmer Andrew Brewer joined podcast host Peter Green to reveal how they find balance in their farming lives.

In this Farming Focus™ series opener, podcast host Peter Green explores the potential of a mentor and asks if mentoring someone else can be equally beneficial. He’s joined by TwoCan Mentor founder Helen Wyman and Dorset dairy farmer George Holmes to find out more.

We are delighted to continue our support of the Farm Business Awards in Devon and Cornwall. Run by the Addington Fund, the awards celebrate the success of farmers across the region. Recognising the achievements of local businesses that form the backbone of our community is incredibly important and something we are very proud to champion.

Bicton College student Tia Whitrow has been named Cornish Mutual South West Agricultural Student of the Year. As a prize for this prestigious award, Tia will receive funding to attend a leading agricultural event of her choosing.

On the southern slopes of Dartmoor, the Cleave family has been farming at Higher Mill Leat Farm for more than three decades. The family-run hill farm blends a traditional farming system with modern methods to create a thriving multi-generational business.

Improving efficiencies and embracing new opportunities has always been Andrew and Nicky Branton’s mindset on their Tiverton dairy farm. But this approach has been reinvigorated since their children Izzy and Matthew joined the business.

Family circumstances brought fifth generation farmer George Greed back to the farm sooner than expected but fortitude and resilience are important on Fortescue Farm, where Jilly, Ed and George have demonstrated their determination to create a sustainable future for the farm.

Health & Safety Advisor Jess Phillips explains why signs are essential for keeping people safe on farm, how to use them effectively and the legal requirements you must meet.  

Technology is the future of farming. Online tools, mobile apps, precision equipment and management decisions driven by technology-derived data are already transforming business efficiency. But how can farmers gain the most from technology on farm? Farming Focus™ investigated.

The rise in shoplifting across the retail sector has been well reported, with record levels published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) earlier this year. And this includes rural businesses. Farm shop owners are experiencing the same upset, frustration and financial losses as high street retailers. The often-isolated location of rural retail businesses can make them particularly vulnerable.

As farmers prepare for the new agricultural inheritance tax rules, PKF Francis Clark’s head of agriculture Brian Harvey and Devon farmer Andrew Branton cover the theory and practice of what it all means for family farms on Farming Focus™. 

Whether on a ladder, roof or some form of working platform, many jobs on farm require working at height. This makes falls a worryingly common cause of accidents and the second highest cause of fatalities in agriculture. Health & Safety Advisor Jess Phillips outlines what you need to know about carrying out these tasks, including your legal responsibilities and how to minimise risks.

Grazing livestock on land crossed by public rights of way (PROW) brings both responsibilities and risks. Health & Safety Advisor Jo Hawkins explains those responsibilities and how you can manage the safety of both the public and your livestock. 

Bicton College student Tia Whitrow has been named Cornish Mutual South West Agricultural Student of the Year. As a prize for this prestigious award, Tia will receive funding to attend a leading agricultural event of her choosing.

Among the numerous hazards on a farm are harmful substances. Coming in many forms, Health & Safety Advisor Amy Jasper explains the regulations around these materials and what they mean for handling them on farm.  

Enterprise stacking is a form of farm diversification with integration and sustainability at its heart. Farmers Tim May and Dave Oates told the Farming Focus™ podcast how they’re stacking enterprises on their farms to build business resilience.

Having grown up on a dairy farm and worked in several other farming businesses, it wasn’t until Andrew Sincock moved into the commercial world, he began to appreciate the manure he’d been surrounded by in his former life. He shares what he’s learnt on Farming Focus™. “My interest in organic manures started really when I joined Agriton. Of all the products they supplied, one really caught my eye and stood out as being very different, very interesting, very simple,” explained Andrew.

The Government’s decision to make changes to farm inheritance tax (IHT) law has caused significant unease across the farming community. This has now been compounded by its surprise announcement of a sudden pause to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme, which took immediate effect. At Cornish Mutual, we wish to express our unwavering support for farmers during these uncertain and challenging times.

In a Farming Focus™ bonus episode, Mel Bradley and Ben Mortimer return to the podcast to discuss the main considerations and practical aspects of starting and running a successful farm cluster group, based on their experiences with the Kenn Valley group in Devon.

Overhead power lines (OHPLs) pose a particular risk to farmers when working with high or wide machinery, such as combine harvesters, tipper trucks/trailers, telehandlers and spray booms, and not forgetting radio aerials, flashing beacons and vehicles rolling silage clamps. Other jobs around the farm can also increase the risk, including the use of rain or slurry guns, building temporary stacks of bales, fertiliser, potato boxes or pallets and moving ladders. Serious injuries and fatalities occur from coming into direct contact with live lines but also from being too close to one, causing an electrical discharge known as a ‘flashover’ or ‘arc flash’. Even a jet of water or slurry touching a live line is a danger.

Often thought of as simply ‘shutting the gate’ on a piece of land, farming consultant Jim Bliss explains why rewilding requires an active approach in the UK, while regenerative agronomist Hugo Ellis describes it as driving for balance and diversity in habitats and farm enterprises. And livestock, they say, are essential. On his Nuffield travels, Jim Bliss saw some spectacular examples of what he calls ‘passive’ rewilding, where stock had been removed from the land and nature returned – Patagonia National Park being one. But the UK doesn’t have the space to take this approach. “So, it's much better to have active rewilding, which does involve farming, just in a more nuanced way, where it's all about diversity,” says Jim.

Six agricultural students in the South West have been awarded Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries. The bursaries offer support for the next generation of farmers and celebrate their enthusiasm for the industry.

Cornish Mutual has been putting farmers and the wider farming community across the South West at the heart of all it does since 1903. And the start of 2025 takes this to a new level.