Arable Group

A combined Nuffield Arable and Addington Trust group met on Wednesday lunchtime, September 28th, at Launceston Cricket Club, situated on former NFU County Chairman Jon Perry’s Farm to start the Group Tour of Cornwall. How else could we start than with a Cornish pasty? Inspiring presentations by Jon Perry, Rob Halliday, the current NFU Chairman, and local consultant Will Iliffe were followed by Becky Wilson from Farm Net Zero who was her usual gregarious self and gave a very good talk on net zero and some of the farms involved with trial programmes in Cornwall. A short farm walk looking over some beautiful countryside followed.

Wednesday evening supper was at Carlyon Golf Club where Chris Hoskins of Hutchinsons, our group sponsors, gave an insightful talk on the Omnia Mapping and sampling system. This was followed by Chris Riddle, secretary of the Royal Cornwall Show, who talked about the successful rebooting of the show following covid. Thursday started wet and windy but didn’t deter us in our visit to Nansledan, a Duchy of Cornwall led development of a modern small town adjoining Newquay. We were guided by Ben Murphy a director of the Duchy, who gave us an excellent overview of the project. The wide streets, noticeable lack of street furniture, efficient housing, a school with a difference and excellent retail facilities were very impressive. The Addington Trust will also have some housing within the development for retired farmers. Then onto to the Cornish Food hall standing alongside and a part of the Truro Waitrose. There we met up with Jonathon Jones who then led us to the Tregothnan Estate which has remained in the same family ownership since 1334. Many of you will know Jonathon as the English Tea grower and his enthusiasm and knowledge of his subject shone through. An excellent lunch at Coombe by the river Fal followed. As we couldn’t cross the river at this point we had quite a detour to reach Fentongollan Estate tenanted by James and Jeremy Hoskins. Their enterprises consist of an arable rotation, sheep, bulbs and vegetable and salad propagating. Jeremy’s niece Francis and her partner Jake accompanied us and are lining up to take over from Jeremy in the future. Thursday evening was spent at the Addington Fund Farm Business Awards at the Eden project. Following a minute’s silence in memory of our dear friend Caroline Drummond, a sumptuous dinner was followed by the awards presentations. The Hoskings won the Best Commercial Farmer as well as Cornwall’s Farmer of the Year, David Hichens Best Dairy Farmer, and Felicity Richards and Jonathon Jones were worthy finalists. On the final morning we visited Felicity and John Richard’s Green Waste Company composting local authority and garden waste on two sites. Following a tour of the site we heard from three young people who are using the compost for cattle bedding, a small market gardening enterprise and a bulb growing business, all very inspiring growers. How else could we finish but with a Cornish pasty? Just the job for the long wet drive home. My thanks to Bill Young, Hutchinsons and all our wonderful hosts for a terrific two days in the southwest.

Andrew Scoley