New farm trailer sponsored by Cornish Mutual set to support rural education
Cornhill Farm in West Cornwall is expanding its education and community outreach programme thanks to a new farm trailer sponsored partly by farming insurance experts Cornish Mutual.
Cornhill Farm in West Cornwall is expanding its education and community outreach programme thanks to a new farm trailer sponsored partly by farming insurance experts Cornish Mutual.
Pete and Jenny Olds, the fourth generation to run the 200-acre mixed farm, are dedicated to sharing what they do, welcoming over 1,000 visitors to the farm in 2024. The new covered personnel trailer, with disabled access and room for a whole class of children, will help them double visitor numbers.
“Having two young children ourselves, we are passionate about ‘doing our bit’ for farm education,” said Jenny Olds. “The children of today are our farmers, environmentalists, customers and policy makers of the future, so we try to offer as many school visits on farm as possible.
“The new trailer allows us to show more visitors more of the farm and enables them to take part in activities such as pond dipping, collecting the eggs and meeting our animals. And importantly, the trailer’s wheelchair access means students with additional needs can join their classmates on every aspect of the visit.”
Pete and Jenny also plan to make the trailer available to other farms in Cornwall looking to offer free educational visits.
Focused on farming and the wider rural community across the South West, Cornish Mutual is one of the trailer’s sponsors. The Olds also received a grant from Cornwall Council’s Growth Hub Grant Programme and the Dartington Cattle Breeding Trust as well as sponsorship from other local companies including HLH Hutchinsons, local rural surveyors Lodge & Thomas and Boscrowan Holiday Cottages.
“Protecting the rural community by showing more people the importance of farming in the region is central to what we do at Cornish Mutual,” said Cornish Mutual Chief Executive Officer Peter Beaumont.
“Peter and Jenny already play a vital role in bringing young people to the farm, and we’re delighted to help fund their efforts in taking this to the next level. It forms another part of our commitment to young people and the next generation of South West farmers, adding to our support for local Young Farmers’ Clubs and the bursaries we award each year to those studying agriculture in our region.”
Image:
The Cornhill Farm Education Trailer with supporters and sponsors during a recent visit from a local primary school. From L to R: Peter Olds (Cornhill Farm), Andrew Brody (Lodge & Thomas), David Harris (Boscrowan Holiday Cottages), Jenny Olds (Cornhill Farm), Jo Hawkins (Cornish Mutual), and Rachel Knowles (Dartington Cattle Breeding Trust).