Cornwall Support Group
History
The Cornwall Group celebrated 25 years of promoting the Trust with a dinner at the Penventon Park Hotel, Redruth, in October 2009. Many members past and present of the group attended, and were joined by RBST Vice-Chairman Peter Titley and his partner. Also former RBST Merchandising Officer Rosalind Ragg and former RBST Trustee Carole Muddiman and her husband represented the Trust.
The Cornwall Support Group was formed in December 1984, the members have helped to promote the work of Rare Breeds Survival Trust in many ways. We hold regular meetings, usually once a month. We also attend local agricultural and livestock shows, with a demonstration of livestock, merchandise and information and we also enter show classes.
Members of the Group keep a wide range of the breeds on the Trust’s Lists, including cattle, sheep, pigs, ponies, goats and poultry. Whilst other members do not keep breeds t themselves, but have joined in order to help promote the Trust and support the work of preserving rare breeds for the benefit of future generations.
The produce of rare breed livestock is often sold locally by members. Other members sell their produce at local Farmers’ Markets. Customers find that the meat has the taste and texture they were used to, before the vacuum pack supermarket meat became available. Rare breed livestock are usually reared naturally, not force fed and given time to mature.
The stock is usually slaughtered by small abattoirs, who can deal with minimal consignments of rare breeds. Unfortunately the pressure that is being imposed on small and medium sized abattoirs, by Defra’s charging system, is giving members concern as to their ability to continue. If only the large abattoirs are left it will be more difficult, if not impossible, to get stock slaughtered on a small scale.
Members at Kittows Abattoir.
Christmas Lunch
