‘Own & Local’ is the essence of farm shops. Foods grown and reared on the farm that are sold from the farm’s own outlet are truly special. They carry tangible values (quality, traceability, freshness) and more subtle messages too, about the hard work of the farmer, the character of the farming family, location and landscape.

A view of Lifton Farm Shop

Farm retailers also have a key role in encouraging new enterprise, from other local farms and entrepreneurs, which otherwise would not find outlets from which to grow their businesses. Cultivating this local supply chain takes time and patience. It is rewarded with unique products.

FARMA believes that a high percentage of own and local products should be a target for all farm retailers. As is the case with Lifton Farm Shop, Devon, winner of FARMA’s first-ever Own & Local national award, planning permission restrictions can be a big nudge in this direction. For Lifton Farm Shop at least 50 per cent of produce sold must come from the farm; another 40 per cent can be local and ten per cent is permitted from elsewhere, giving room for citrus fruits and nuts, for example. These targets for own and local foods are very steep and noone should underestimate the effort needed to maintain them.

Farmers Roger and Jo Mounce created Lifton Farm Shop, at Lifton in Devon, just off the A30 at the gateway to Cornwall, as a farm shop on a working farm, the hub of which is half a mile from the farm shop. Eighty acres are devoted to the rearing of beef and Christmas poultry, all sold through the farm shop. The farm is self-sufficient in the barley, maize and grass grown to feed the livestock. The eponymous strawberries are grown for PYO, for the farm shop and to go into the farm’s own ice-cream along with other soft fruits. And then there are vegetables grown on the farm, from cabbage, cauliflower and curly kale and other brassicas to carrots, parsnips, Swedes, leeks and onions; plus sweetcorn, broad beans, runner beans, spinach, pumpkins, marrows and courgettes.

The crew from Lifton receive their Award at the FARMA Awards Dinner

The new orchard, planted in 2002, has added a new dimension to the produce as traditional varieties of apples, pears and plums are now harvested for the farm shop and as ingredients in the cakes, pies and puddings created in the farm-shop bakery.
The Lifton Farm Shop logo goes onto all foods that have been grown or reared on the farm, or made in the farm shop. Other products are sourced as locally as possible and it is a matter of pride that customers can ask about any product in the farm shop and get more information about the supplier. ‘We know as much about it as if it was our own,’ comments Jo Mounce, ‘For example, Mike’s Smokehouse Fish can be thoroughly recommended, it is gorgeous and it has won several Gold Awards. We also link with other local businesses to create our own niche products, such as Skinners ‘Figgy Brew’ real ale, 50 miles away, which goes into our steak and real ale pies and Bradley’s Clotted Cream (10 miles away) goes into our ice-cream.’

A large board in the farm shop (8 feet by 4 feet) states the distance that a large range of foods on sale in the shop has travelled.‘We are very lucky to have so many locally-made foods,’ said Jo. The list shows, for example, tomatoes and new potatoes from
Mike Whitford, half a mile away and pork form Watkins at Holsworthy Beacon, 15 miles away.

Lifton Farm Shop was visited, as part of the judging process, by James Dart of Darts Farm Village, Devon, winners of Farm Retailer of the Year 2007. He comments: ‘Lifton Farm Shop produces masses from its own fields, not only fruits and vegetables, but also eggs and meat. They are then taking these raw ingredients and are further processing them into cakes, pies and pasties, jams, and even ice cream. They also do PYO on a wide variety of produce. There is a real energy around Lifton, that goes through the business from the top down, they love what they do, and they do it well.

The Bakery– right in the middle of the shop is open plan. The smells draw you in and you cannot resist either a freshly baked loaf, or a cake, or a pastie straight out of the oven at lunch time - it’s the real thing, and “they’re lovin’ it”. Great displays, knowledgeable staff, hard work and a bit of passion, these are all the ingredients for an award winning farm shop.’

www.liftonstrawberryfields.co.uk

Finalists
Broom House Farm Shop, Witton Gilbert, Durham
Eddisbury Fruit Farm, Tarporley, Cheshire
HFG Farm Shop, Beeston St Andrew, Norfolk
Knowes Farm Shop, East Linton, East Lothian
Lower Clopton Farm Shop, Upper Quinton, Warwickshire
Newby Hall Farm Shop, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire
Rhug Organic Farm, Corwen, Denbighshire
Richards of Cornwall, Hayle, Cornwall
Sunnyside Up, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
The Hop Shop, Shoreham, Kent