One Community Keveral Farm has been an organic farm community for twenty five years. The house and farm-buildings are owned by our housing co-op One Community Limited [OCL] and the land is owned by Keveral Sustainable Land Holdings. Keveral Farmers Limited [KFL] manages the land and farm-buildings as a workers co-operative. The 25 acres of farmland is organically certified by the Soil Association. We purchased Keveral in January 1997, with the help of loans from Radical Routes and Triodos Bank, after previously renting from Patchwork Housing Association. Despite the efforts of previous residents a lot of building renovation work is required. So far we have completely refurbished our kitchen to a standard acceptable for catering and selling food. Most income from the land comes from the sale of the organic vegetables. We started a local veggie box scheme in June 1997, which now delivers to about 100 households each week. We are expanding this by including the sale of organic wholefoods and home-baked organic bread. We are receiving a MAFF /EU grant of up to £20,000 towards investment aimed at developing this project as a whole. We have a camping area and a visitors' barn which are used as spaces to accommodate courses, as well as being available for events and holidays. Our educational and events activities are developing well - in 1998, we hosted the Radical Routes Spring Gathering, a big 25th anniversary party with a spectacular fire-show and fireworks, our annual permaculture design course, the first "Alternative Cornwall Convergence", and a weekend visit of American environmental students, along with two kids camps and a storytelling evening for local children. We also keep a small number of goats, sheep, chickens and ducks. In 1999, we are starting to host specialist courses, including Horse-Logging - working horses in the woods [March], Yurt buiding [March], Hands-on Permaculture [June], and Straw Bale building [Summer], along with our Permaculture Design course in August. We are also gearing ourselves up for the 1999 solar eclipse, which promises to bring mayhem to Cornwall. The land consists of vegetable plots, polytunnels, a walled garden, camping field, orchard, woodland, and pasture. Permaculture ideas are being developed around the farm. Other aspects of KFL includes tree-work services, Wild Magic liquid plant feed, and Kernow Fireworks. We have a working forge / metal-workshop, and a separate Crafts Co-op has just started. KFL employs three members on a basic wage. Keveral Farm is currently home to fifteen adults and three kids - the youngest, Zennor, born here in May 1998 to Amanda and Gareth. Membership seems to have stabilised over the last couple of years and the community as a whole seems to have found more balance. Our general aim is to create a more self-reliant and sustainable way of life for ourselves, and to share our resources and experiences with others. We welcome working visitors including WWOOFers. Initial visits of five days are preferred. Anyone wishing to visit should first write to the Visitor Co-ordinator, telling us something about themselves. Alternatively, people may visit as self- catering paying visitors, using our camping area or barn. Keveral Farm
Looe
PL13 1PA
Cornwall Tel: 01503 250215 E-mail:
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List of Members 
