THE bright outlook for young organic farmers has been a lonely ray of sunshine in an otherwise glum year on the agricultural front.

Helen Jeynes, a former nine-to-five bank worker, exemplifies this rosy attitude, as she tills the land and gets organic Worcestershire soil under her fingernails.

Mrs Jeynes, aged 33, said the lure of working outdoors and growing more wholesome food was responsible for her radical lifestyle shift.

With her family lending a helping hand, they make a wholesome advert for rural harmony and living by the season.

But gloomy predictions have now cast a shadow over the future of green farming - a hangover from the revelry of the organic revolution after the 2001 foot and mouth disaster.

The Organic Farmers and Growers Association recently sent a survey to its 4,000 members - 1,144 sent the questionnaire back. Perhaps all the others were too busy or too depressed to think about organic farming after work.

Most strikingly, nearly two thirds thought organic farming offered low profitability - not something supermarket shoppers would expect, judging by the mark-up on organic-labelled food.

And a staggering 30 per cent don't know whether they will be farming organically in five years' time.

But young green farmers in Worcestershire are more exuberant about their future prospects.

"We're not concerned about farming organically in the future - we know we will be," said Helen who manages Merryvallf Farm, 50 acres of organic farmland near Ombersley.

The set-up on Merryvallf is a family affair. The farm is owned by her father-in-law, and her sister-in-law and her family help run the business.

And Mrs Jeynes' children, Elizabeth, aged 10, and Tom, aged 6, lend a helping hand.

"The money isn't great - my husband has to work full time - but that is not the reason we decided to turn the family farm towards organics.

"Profitability is not the be all and end all. That is where the survey is flawed. A younger generation will make sure organic farming was not just a fad," she said.

Commercial innovation and adaptability are key for organic success. The drive to grow as much as possible and get a price per ton is not an option for small-scale green farmers.

The box scheme, an American idea, is proving a profitable alternative to selling to supermarket chains. Boxes bulging with various fertiliser-free and pesticide-free vegetables are delivered weekly to customers.

"The emphasis is on variety and seasonal availability. The customer doesn't know what they will get one week or the next, but they do know it's all organic," said Helen Jeynes.

Swapping organics between a group of farmers loosely based around a wholesalers adds variety to what customers will find on their doorstep.

Mike Hamilton, who manages Flight's Orchard Wholesalers in Ledbury, said some of the figures in the survey were unsurprising.

"Some organic products are less profitable than others - milk for example - and if farmers try to produce and sell on a commercial level, profitability is definitely not guaranteed," he said.

Mr Hamilton thinks green farmers should consider concentrating on selling straight to the consumer if they want to increase their profitability."

"Last year, organic smallholders selling directly to consumers at farmers' markets and through initiatives like the box scheme had sales of £1m. They took a one per cent market share back from the supermarkets.

"We are bucking the traditional trend that supermarkets destroy the competition," said Mr Hamilton.

In a multi-billion pound market - Tesco alone took £1.7bn in profit in 2003 - this is a significant figure.

"In general, people care a lot more about what they eat than they did 10 years ago, and I can only see it continuing.

"We think the future is very bright for organic farming, especially if we can sell straight to the consumer," added Mrs Jeynes.

Anyone who would like information about Merryvallf Farm's box deliveries should call 01905 452834.