Higher Culloden Farm

Camelford Together looks to work with and support organisations and groups that benefit the residents of Camelford.

Working with Higher Culloden Farm, funds were secured from the Cornwall Community Foundation to commence a Community Market Garden, open to all the people of Camelford with weekly sessions to provide support, education and an opportunity for the community to come together.

Overview

Higher Culloden Farm is a 15-acre smallholding within five minutes’ walk of Camelford town centre, ideally located to reduce food miles, provide support, education and help bring the local community together.

By working in partnership with Camelford Together, Higher Culloden Farm initiated a Community Market Garden, with a series of open days and an invite to all residents of Camelford, including those vulnerable or isolated within the community.

The Community Market Garden concept aims to benefit the residents of Camelford and includes the opportunity for volunteers to make connections with the environment, provide learning within the community and the opportunity to grow sustainable, organically local produce. It promotes healthy lifestyles and positive mental wellbeing through nature connections and outdoor activities for all those who participate.

In order to facilitate the events, materials, equipment and tools were required, as was resource to run the events and on-going social media promotion. The events form part of a sustainable Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project to benefit the local community.

The aims:

  • Support education and community cohesion through growing food
  • Promote healthy lifestyles and mental wellbeing
  • Improve biodiversity in the local area by delivering a habitat management plan

Weekly events have been successfully held each Thursday and also the last Saturday of the month from 10am to 1pm. In return for their participation and efforts, volunteers are offered the opportunity to take home the produce that is grown for their personal use. The events have attracted regular weekly volunteers, who each share food, stories and a vision.

Funding

External funding of £3,000 was generously provided by Cornwall Community Foundation which made the initial events possible and secured the subsequent series of regular events. The funding enabled the purchase of the materials, tools and equipment for the start-up events, which are now on-going.

Higher Culloden Farm provided the use of all facilities and existing tools, resources and equipment. It is hoped that the scheme can ultimately become self-funding, but further upscaling will require some element of additional funding, which will be pursued with stakeholders.

It is planned to sell any food beyond that needed by the volunteers in the local community, ultimately as part of a regular stall or similar in the town. There has been positive interest in the aspiration to create a subscription-based vegetable box scheme and connect people with their food journey and local environment.

Up to 65% of the proceeds from these activities will be reinvested into the Community Market Garden and also help promote the facility to a wider audience, increasing the connection with people who can benefit from these activities.

Legacy

There will be on-going hands-on education and wellbeing support for all users, including vulnerable and isolated people in the community. Typically, support is available for up to 5 people per session, dependent upon on the needs of the individuals attending.

Volunteering opportunities will continue, and they will aim to provide experience and support for people to gain employment. These events will continue in their regular slots of every Thursday and the last Saturday of the month.

Ultimately if individuals require specialist services as a care farm or for social prescribing, tailored services may be provided.

The produce grown will continue to be available for volunteers, with an aspiration to be made available through the vegetable box subscription scheme to local people and members from summer 2024.

Given the success of these initial events Higher Culloden Farm has created its own Community Interest Company, which is branded as ‘Nourish Kernow’. This will enable it to continue to promote and grow activities beyond those held to date and allow it to work either independently, or in partnership with other parties (including Camelford Together), to realise its ambitions.