Farm based social enterprise incorporating:
• 7 small organic horticultural/farm based enterprises
• Keveral Sustainable Land Holdings
• 3 other independent businesses
• Keveral Permaculture Group
• One Community Limited (OCL) Housing Co-operative
There has been a community of people resident & working on the site since 1973. the Permaculture Group has existed since 1997 when the resident community purchased the site from their landlords.
The community’s resources are shared cooperatively with the wider local food network through business partnerships, site visits, CEVAS visits, permaculture & other courses, working holidays, volunteering and hiring of the land & facilities.
Keveral Farm is the home to one of the oldest local vegetable box schemes in Cornwall, supplies organic produce to Jamie Oliver’s 15 restaurant and supplies a number of local food outlets & delicatessens with fresh and processed produce. In addition the farm produces orchard & woodland products. We have an CEVAS accredited farm visit coordinator. We provide informal & formal training opportunities for volunteers and support the wider local community including working with the local parish councils, community groups and schools. OCL provides affordable housing for it’s members.
Opportunities The horticultural and other linked enterprises on the farm which include green tourism, educational and working holidays require more and better housing to enable them to improve and grow. The educational activities and the use of the farm resources by other groups (schools, Bristol drug project, woodland schools network, the wider local community & others) could be greatly enhanced by the provision of better visitor infrastructure linked to these business activities. OCL owns a range of old stone farm buildings in various degrees of repair. The growth of the businesses on site has been constrained by the poor condition of these buildings which contributes to a lack of appropriate space for business use. The farm community has diversified it’s activities over the years and there are opportunities to increase the incomes and employment generated by the community on site if these issues can be addressed.
The resources thus improved and created will be used to increase production from the farm and to support the network of visitors and educational guests the project receives each year.
