Cornish Mutual invests in regenerative farming start-up

The investment is a first for Cornish Mutual and is part of its service expansion to increase support for farmers through current and upcoming challenges.

Peter Beaumont, Managing Director for Cornish Mutual said: “We have been talking to our farmer Members about how we can help them increase profitability and manage risk. Regenerative techniques have huge potential for this, while also addressing issues of resilience and environmental impact, but many farmers don’t know where to find trusted independent advice.

“We have been working with Terrafarmer on how we can help our Members gain the knowledge required to adopt those techniques. This significant investment in the business will enable us to take this forward. The core of the Terrafarmer business is independent advice backed up by scientifically rigorous soil sampling, and we will now be looking at how we can extend our offering around this.”

Tom Tolputt, Co-Founder and Consultancy Director at Terrafarmer, said that it had been a long-held dream to create a platform to support UK farmers transition to more sustainable and regenerative farming practices. “The investment and support from Cornish Mutual have now made it a reality.

“Sharing the knowledge I have built up in my 20 years farming organically and regeneratively, alongside the extensive agronomy skills of my team, allows us to facilitate farmers in building more resilient farm businesses and investing in soil health for the long term,” he said. 

Co-Founder and Executive Chair, Gemma Clarke, added: “As Managing Director of Cope Seeds, with 15 years’ experience in the organic and regenerative seed and grain market, I was inspired to join forces with Tom as Terrafarmer. Creating a platform that can further facilitate our UK farmers in their journeys to more sustainable and financially viable farm practices, aligns perfectly with our ethos at Cope Seeds.

“The investment from Cornish Mutual will not only help us reach more farmers with our services, but also demonstrates their belief in supporting their community of farmers in building more resilient farm businesses.” 

The investment coincided with the publication of a report from the Sustainable Markets Initiative. The report, signed by CEOs of 12 global agri-food businesses, acknowledges the knowledge gap in farmers knowing how to adopt regenerative practices and the role businesses can play in bridging the gap and helping to scale regenerative agriculture.

“It is widely accepted that regenerative farming offers a positive way forward. We are delighted we are now at the forefront of this movement and are able to support our Members in gaining knowledge and a competitive advantage,” concluded Mr Beaumont.

Find out about our Soil Management Service here.