Charles unveils organic farm project

30 June 2000



Charles unveils organic farm project

By FWi staff

PRINCE Charles has launched a “one stop shop” for farmers, growers and businesses who need information on organic farming, processing and marketing.

The Prince launched the Organic South West initiative during a visit to Penhale Farm, an organic Duchy farm near Bodmin on Thursday (29 June).

He toured the farm, run by Tony and Joy Weaving who completed the conversion of their 370-acre dairy holding to organic management in May.

Much of the technical information, advice and support available from the regional project will be subsidised thanks to European grant funding.

A new regional office will be based at Duchy College, Stoke Climsland, Callington, and supported by the Duchy of Cornwall and Triodos Bank.

Simon Brenman, agriculture development director for the Soil Association, which initiated the project, said it could be a blueprint for the rest of the country.

It would “provide a vision for agriculture in the region, and show how it can be at the heart of economic, environmental and social regeneration”, he said.

“Farmers in the south-west will continue to suffer hardship if encouraged to produce agricultural commodities at world prices.”