Pengoon Farm, Nancegollan, Helston, Cornwall

© Pengoon Farm 2000 - 2021

Web site by Amdow Web Design

Mike & Stephanie East

Mike is the son of Jim & Edna. He left a job in the motor trade in Carlisle to come to Cornwall with his parents. In the early days he worked in a local garage as well as maintaining the farm vehicles.

Since leaving the garage Mike has been a full time farmhand and the delivery driver for the eggs. Mike also helps out with milking the cows (twice a day) and grading and packing the eggs. Mike married Stephanie (Steph) in September 2004. Alas Stephanie passed away suddenly on 2nd June 2021. Stephanie had been the business administrator. Her son, Vince, has taken on some of the admin work.

The East Family of Pengoon Farm

Jim East

Jim was the oldest of the family and his real name was Ronald but everybody called him 'Jim'.

Jim learnt his farming as a youngster in Belford working on a local farm. He did not stay in farming but became a teacher specialising in Biology.

After a period of time running Trinity FE Centre in Carlisle, Jim finally retired from teaching, came to Cornwall and bought Pengoon Farm.

He had to learn how to milk again and how to survive on the minimal income of a small holding. The mere existence of Pengoon is proof of lessons well learnt even if they were sometimes very hard.

Following an illness a few of years ago, Jim had to 'take things a bit easier' - not that you would have noticed much difference. As part of taking it easier, the dairy herd has been slightly reduced and more emphasis put on to the caravan side.

Jim passed away after a long illness on 31st May 2019.

Edna East

Edna was Jim's wife and the organiser of the family. She had many important responsibilities including running the farm shop and keeping up to date with all the accounts and paperwork - both for the farm and the caravan site.

Edna helps with grading and packing the eggs ready for the next day's deliveries.

Sadly, following a long illness, Edna passed away on 11th June 2008. She will be sorely missed.

Stephanie then took over the administration work until her own death in June 2021.

Marianne & Alan Dowling

Marianne is the daughter of Jim & Edna and Mike's older sister. She has never lived at Pengoon as she came to Cornwall a year before her parents to work in the Civil Service at St Austell. She married a Cornishman, Alan Dowling, in 1986 and in 1993 they moved to West Sussex, still in the Civil Service.

Marianne left the Civil Service in 2007 and Alan retired in 2012. Alan designed and maintains these web pages for the farm, which he does as part of his web design business. They came down to Cornwall at least once most years as both their families still live in Cornwall. In March 2013 they moved back to Cornwall.

The Farm and Caravan Park

As so many school holidays had been spent in a touring caravan, mainly in various parts of Cornwall, it seemed right to make use of part of the farmland as a Caravan Club Certified Location with permission to take up to 5 caravans at a time.

The original livestock comprised about 500 free range chickens, a few dairy cows and a couple of pigs. After a few years it became evident that there was no money in pigs on a small scale and so they had to go.

After a few disasters with egg wholesale firms, it was decided to try their own marketing locally. After canvassing some local shops, restaurants and guesthouses the weekly delivery rounds were started.

As the reputation of Pengoon Farm Free Range Eggs grew, so did the delivery round. Soon that weekly round became a different round on each of six days every week. Regular customers are spread from Truro across to Newquay and down to Lands End.

Along with the eggs, Pengoon Farm produced and sold its own Cornish Clotted Cream. In 2010, Jim and his cream were featured on the Good Food television channel program “Market Kitchen”.

The 5 pitch caravan site became a 25 pitch caravan site and a new shower block was completed at the end of 1999 ready for the 2000 season. Small improvements are made each year to keep the caravan park and the farm in good shape.