Agriculture, while it feeds us all, its practices in the rural area have come in for careful scrutiny in recent years. Ian Howie, a leading voice in farming in the West Midlands, explains how one interactive meeting attempted to bring all sides of this debate together.

How farmers and horticulturalists address vital issues in the countryside will be judged, not by their sons but by their grandchildren.

That sobering long-term assessment is one of the conclusions drawn in a recent report, Focus on the Future, prepared by a cross section of those involved with farming which highlights the need for the industry to get its "real" story across and to be better understood by the public.

And its mantra "We Need to Make a Better Image Happen" provided the theme at a high-profile farm event recently organised by the Council for the Protection of Rural England and LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), an organisation which encourages farmers to use systems that deliver profitable sustainable businesses while at the same time helping to protect the environment and the countryside.

Speaking at the event on behalf of CPRE, Tom McDonald said it proved an opportunity for all parties to get together and discuss the many issues facing farming: sustainability and the environment, globalisation, the fears of climate change and fuel and energy security.

It was a day for farmers to discuss with consumers what was realistic and the steps being taken to help the rural area thrive with viable businesses while protecting the countryside and environment.

"How we address these vital issues will not be judged by us, but by our grandchildren," Mr McDonald said.

The day saw leading figures in Herefordshire agriculture played a pivotal role in bridging the gap of misunderstanding between farming and the consumer.

On the next two pages we report on their views which were expressed and questions which were asked during the event.

Organic conversion

Julia Evans farms 180 acres near Bromyard and makes the farm available for Riding for the Disabled.

She is converting to organic production and has a simple system with a Beef Shorthorn suckler herd and a flock of Lleyn ewes.

To keep costs down her only equipment is a quad bike. She uses minimal fertiliser and chemicals inputs to produce for a niche market; selling high quality beef direct to customers in boxes.

Julia's original aim was to sell pedigree breeding stock but she was disrupted by a TB outbreak. Badgers were implicated for, as Julia explained, hers is a closed herd with minimal cattle movements on and off the farm.

"Where else could it have come from?" she asked, but also made the point that she was not in favour of the indiscriminate wiping out of the badger population.

Polytunnels or airmiles

Anthony Snell, who has been using polytunnels for eight years, described how tunnels extend the home-grown strawberry season from some six to eight weeks to 24. He said covered crops, which replace imports during the extended UK season, are essential to produce to the criteria dictated by supermarkets to meet customers' expectations.

He described how the crops grown in polytunnels attracted beneficial insects and were more environmentally friendly because it meant being able to reduce chemical use by up to 50%.

Tim Crossman, whose company supplies tunnels, warned of the importance of carefully selecting sites for tunnels to protect the landscape and the importance of adhering to the code of conduct.

He described how they were researching new materials and colours to reduce the visual impact.

Shopping habits

Here fordshire farmers Philip Gorringe and Patrick Wrixon answered the question: Do shopping habits shape the countryside, the landscape and wildlife?'

They explained buying habits would change the countryside for good - or bad - as consumers reacted to globalisation and food miles, food security and safety and animal welfare issues.

They predicted it would be the buying power of shoppers, who could exert pressure on supermarkets, which would decide how the UK countryside was farmed as farmers reacted to market forces.

Rosemary Moon, a food writer and adviser to one of the big supermarket chains, said she was passionate about British farming - "consumers should make more use of our food as the ingredients are superior, having been produced within tight criteria, and the public should hang on to the principles of UK farming," she said.

Diversifying

Wiggly Wigglers, the business which grew out of farm diversification, is the current Small Business Champion of the UK.

Heather explained how their business played an important role in the community by employing 15 people and by sourcing more than half its stock from within Herefordshire.

She stressed the need for farmers to reconnect with consumers and "keep chatting to people" about how food was produced in a way that could be understood.