Who's Who at Farm Cornwall

Trustees

Richard Thomas

Chair

As Chair of Trustees of Farm Cornwall, and having been involved for 25 years, I passionately believe in the Charity and the work it does in offering invaluable support to people in the rural community. It is quite unique within the farming support network and this continues to be recognised nationally.

In my day job I run a mixed farming operation with dairy, beef, cereals and a potato growing and packing operation and have leadership roles in other farming related organisations.

Our current restructuring will produce an organisation fit and ready for the future and better able to deal with the never-ending challenges faced by those living in rural communities.

Jenny Olds

Vice Chair

Jenny is a chartered surveyor and agricultural valuer with many years’ experience in rural property management. As well as surveying, she also works in partnership with her husband’s family running their free-range egg and arable farming business which sells direct to the local market.

She has a particular interest in the natural environment and how that is increasingly interacting in modern day farming businesses, and also education in farming and hosts a number of school visits every year.

Chris Knowles

Trustee

After leaving Seale Hayne Agricultural College in 1992 I have been involved in the family farm, managing a dairy herd of 280 cows and assisting my wife, Rachel, with bottling and retailing some of our milk.

I bring a wide experience of other organisations to the Trustees Board having been involved with many local organisations including Young Farmers where I became the South West Area Chairman. I was a governor at Nancledra Primary School later becoming Chairman and likewise Chair of Towednack Parish Council. I have been involved with Farm Cornwall for 20 years.

Steve Bone

Trustee

Steve has been involved with Farm Cornwall business since its inception in 2001 and have held various roles over the years and still proud to perform the role of trustee. I am a fourth-generation farmer in the far west of Cornwall running a mixed farm in tandem with several environmental agreements.

Farm Cornwall has not only helped many rural people and businesses over the years, but it has also helped me to develop in number of off-farm roles that I have undertaken enabling me to provide a strategic approach for the benefit of Farm Cornwall.

Being involved for over 10 years with Mole Valley Farmers has given me an even wider understanding of the needs of farming communities and currently I am honoured to be Chair of the Board of their Board of Directors.

Wendy Nicholas

Trustee

As a farmer’s daughter, I have a deep family tradition in farming and now work on our fifth generation beef farm with my husband. Being situated near Lands End we also run a busy campsite.

I joined the Trustees at the end of 2023 and since then have really enjoyed helping to support the new Cornish Ladies In Wellies and the Next Generation community groups. Both of these have grown significantly and are helping to forge new friendships, reduce isolation and share and support each other.

Rural Support Team

Edward Richardson

Rural Support Manager

Edward is well known to the farming community across Cornwall having held the position of Rural Support Manager for 15 years.

He brings a lifetime of experiences in all types of farm management up to 1500 acres, farm education and most especially a love of farming that started when he was 12 years old. Like many others, he has enjoyed the highs of success in farming by developing an organic vegetable box scheme and also growing an organic pig herd. These successes are tempered by set-backs to foot and mouth and BSE.

Many,many farming families have not only benefited from his experiential skills but also have been supported by Edward’s empathetic and confidential approach. Edward complements his agricultural knowledge with an MBA in Business Administration so is well qualified to take an objective perspective when supporting those farmers in difficulty.

He was awarded the Trelawney Plate in 2024 in recognition of his engagement in the Cornish Agricultural community.

Louise Davis

Farm Adviser and Outreach Worker

Louise is from a beef and sheep farm on the edge of Dartmoor. Having spent some time working in New Zealand and in Wales, Louise returned to Devon and has spent the last 20 years working with farmers in an advisory capacity, which has included work as a Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer in North Devon, and a training and events role at Dartmoor Hill Farm Project.

Louise has worked on agri-environment schemes for many years and enjoys working with farms to develop schemes that are suitable, practical and achievable.

Louse’s experiences are backed up by a 1^st Degree in Environmental Science and she has been FACTS qualified since 2015.

Charlie Penna

Farm Advisor and Outreach Worker

Charlie runs his family farm just outside of Redruth. He has a closed commercial beef herd, grows cereals and has been on environmental schemes including the Sustainable Farming Incentive Pilot scheme.

He has also spent over a decade as a farm auditor for Red Tractor covering beef and lamb (Fabbl), combinable crops and livestock haulage. This role has made him a familiar face within the farming community and has allowed him to gain a good understanding of farming needs across Cornwall.

Charlie has a Diploma in Agriculture from Duchy College and has more recently attended the Farm Resilience Programme. As result of these seminars he has ventured into some diversification projects on his own farm to assist in the long term viability of his farm.

‍

Office Team

Paula Martin

Charity Manager

Paula brings a breadth of strategic, operational and hands on capabilities to support the future development of Farm Cornwall, as well as providing day to day help and support for the team who are responsible for delivery of its rural support services

Around the turn of the Millenium Paula was also involved in farming in Cornwall, in a family context and as a helping hand on the farm, but also as a farm secretary and administrator. She holds qualifications in Rural Business Administration from Duchy College and in 2006 she completed the Worshipful Company of Farmers Challenge of Rural Leadership Course. She has also previously worked for land and estate agents elsewhere in the UK, as well as working with other well-known agricultural charities and Government funded projects based in Cornwall. More recently this included some focussed on sustainable farming practices, building stakeholder partnerships and administrating grant funding.

Paula has worked in the charity sector in Cornwall for the past 20 years and has delivered key roles in highly successful voluntary organisations. In 2019 she was the IoD SW Region Director of the Year for the Third Sector.

‍

Debbie Evans

PA to the Charity Trustees

Debbie has worked with Farm Cornwall and the Penwith Farming Forum, as the group was originally named, since 2007 providing administrative, accounting and fundraising support. She is a member of the Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and works with a number of rural businesses in West Cornwall. She has previously managed a care farm for adults with learning disabilities and worked in the tourism sector both in Cornwall and Wiltshire. Outside of work her passion is gardening and she is a previous Show Director for the Cornwall Garden Society Spring Flower Show and now helps to stage the annual West Cornwall Flower Show in Marazion.

‍