News

Cornish Mutual has announced the latest recipients of its Young Farmer Bursaries, recognising six agriculture students from across the South West for their enthusiasm for farming and commitment to shaping the future of the industry. Now in its fifth year, the bursary programme provides financial support to students studying agriculture-based courses, helping them gain new experiences, develop essential skills and take the next steps towards their future careers in farming. The bursaries were judged by a panel including Cornish Mutual Chief Executive Officer Peter Beaumont, who said: “The Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries celebrate the talented young people who are the future of our industry. Supporting students who are committed to developing their skills and helping agriculture evolve is essential.”

Farming is often described as one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, building something that can last for generations brings real pride and purpose. But for many farmers, it can also be lonely, pressurised and mentally exhausting. DPJ Foundation founder Emma O’Sullivan and Bude farmer James Warwick share their experiences on Farming Focus™ with advice on how to find support.

With a passion for showing young people behind the farm gate, Farmer Time creator Tom Martin is pioneering a new form of farm education, while FWAG South West Education Officer Louise Wallace is inspiring and educating to help children understand and protect. They encourage other farmers to do the same.

When a tornado struck Trevornick Holiday Park, it left a trail of destruction few could imagine. For Park Manager Adrian Tribe, who has dedicated more than 30 years to the family-run site, the impact was deeply personal. 

Cornwall Farm Business Awards 2025 finalist Jack Marchant hopes to show other potential first-generation farmers you can succeed. But he says it needs the right mindset, hard work and sticking to your guns.

Cornwall Farm Business Awards 2025 Rising Star Finalist Hope Pascoe has farming in her blood and is striving to share her passion for the industry through her retail enterprise.

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.

The Government has announced its revised Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). We look at what it offers farmers in 2026, with advice from Terrafarmer agribusiness consultant Jack Pierce on how to prepare for its opening in June.

This episode of Farming Focus™ looks at the shifting landscape of farm support and how farm businesses can adapt amid uncertainty.  Jeremy Moody, from the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), and Nick Dymond of St Piran’s Pork in Cornwall join podcast host Peter Green to examine recent policy signals from DEFRA and what they may mean for schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship and Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL).

Enthusiasm, experience and equity are all needed to access land as a new entrant, Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) CEO George Dunn told host Peter Green on Farming Focus™. Using his vast experience of farming tenancies, he offered his insight and advice on securing your dream farm. Also joining the show to share their story, the award-winning Nicholls brothers, who secured a 20-year tenancy to support their growing dairy business.

Farming is changing, and across the South West farmers are finding new ways to adapt, grow, and sustain their businesses. In an episode of Farming Focus™, Peter Green spoke to farmers from two Cornwall-based businesses who are taking a different approach to farming. Laura Awdry, a Duchy of Cornwall tenant farmer, Nuffield Scholar, and AHDB dairy knowledge exchange manager, shared her experiences alongside Rhian and Jack Marchant, first-generation farmers running a mixed livestock enterprise. 

The potentially industry-shaping Farm Profitability Review report, authored by Baroness Minette Batters, was published by Defra in December. To help farmers unwrap this milestone report and reflect on its significance, Peter Green is joined on our Farming Focus™ podcast by agribusiness consultant Jack Pierce and Cornish beef farmer Wendy Nicholas. 

Diversification isn’t always about doing something new, it can be as simple as making better use of existing assets according to rural business adviser Simon Haley, and Somerset farmers Rob Addicott and Jeremy Padfield. On Farming Focus™, they explain how to use diversification to elevate your business, not your busyness.

The first week in January always sees Oxford unusually full of farmers, politicians and ag industry personnel for the annual Oxford Farming Conference (OFC). Cornish Mutual Chairman and Agricola Growers MD Jeremy Oatey was among them this year and tells Farming Focus™ what he learnt in our latest podcast episode.

Manual handling is part of everyday life on farms, from using heavy tools and handling livestock animals to carrying tools and equipment. But these routine tasks are a common cause of injury in agriculture, and the long-term effects can be more serious than many realise. Back and joint injuries often go unnoticed or untreated for years, only to become painful, life-limiting problems later on. Understanding how to assess risks and use safe lifting techniques can help protect both you and your team.

The final episode of each Farming Focus™ series is an opportunity to look back at the rich mixture of opinions and insights offered by guests, and series five is no exception. Podcast host Peter Green is joined by strategic dairy consultant Becki Reay to discuss five of the most recent episodes.

When a tornado struck Trevornick Holiday Park, it left a trail of destruction few could imagine. For Park Manager Adrian Tribe, who has dedicated more than 30 years to the family-run site, the impact was deeply personal. 

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.

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.