Business support for farmers: an evaluation of the Farm Cornwall Project

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McElwee, G. and Annibal, I., 2010. Business support for farmers: an evaluation of the Farm Cornwall Project. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 17 (3), pp. 475-491.

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Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an account of a Farm Support Project in Cornwall which provides support, advice and an outreach facility for farmers in the Penwith district of Cornwall. It also discusses how effective such schemes are, particularly in an external environment which poses threats to the farm sector in the UK. Three kinds of questions about the nature of farming and the status of farmers are posed. The first set of questions includes polarisations about the hegemonic position of farmers. Second, macro-economic, and thus policy, questions concerning the economic “footprint” of the farmer and the farm's relationship with the economy are posed in Cornwall. The third set of questions concerns the economic role and entrepreneurial capability of the farmer in Cornwall. Design/methodology/approach – A desk study of the scheme's objectives, a literature review, and interviews with 27 stakeholders were reported on specifically the results of the interviews. Findings – The Penwith Scheme encompasses an integrated approach to providing business support to farmers including: sign-posting specialist advisers, the facilitation of training assistance with major grant applications, the development of “social capital” through to help in accessing sources of social support.

Item Type:

Journal article

Publication Title:

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

Creators:

McElwee, G. and Annibal, I.

Publisher:

Emerald

Date:

2010

Volume:

Number: