OpenFields

Structural change and new entrants in UK agriculture: examining the role of county farms and the Fresh Start initiative in Cornwall

An examination of the attempts by two schemes – the County Farms Estate (CFE) and the Fresh Start (FS) initiative in Cornwall – to provide opportunities for new farmers to enter agriculture in an affordable manner.

Year of Publication2009

In the context of the trend towards fewer and larger farms, and an ageing farming population, this paper examines the attempts by two schemes – the County Farms Estate (CFE) and the Fresh Start (FS) initiative in Cornwall – to provide opportunities for new farmers to enter agriculture in an affordable manner. The number of county farms has continued to decline since the 1950s through processes of farm amalgamation and disposal by county and unitary authorities. While the average size of those remaining has risen, this has not been at the same rate as that engendered through general processes of structural change in UK agriculture. FS has provided a range of support to help improve the vibrancy of the farming industry in Cornwall, but its overall impact has been limited. The extent to which these schemes have either contributed to or slowed down the process of structural change in UK agriculture is debatable.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Training & skills
• Subject Collection > Rural policy & development > UK rural policy
• Subject Collection > Social & community enterprise
• Subject Collection > Rural policy & development

Additional keywords/tags

fresh startnew bloodstructural changeageing farm populationagriculturecounty farms