A STRONG and healthy rural economy is vital to the social as well as the economic well-being of the countryside, said the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt-Rev John Oliver, when he opened a farm shop at Abbeydore.
The bishop, the Church of England's spokesman on environment and rural affairs, said the rural communities were far more innovative than they were given credit for.
The shop, which is close to historic Dore Abbey at Moorhampton Farm, will allow Denis and Eric Gwatkin sell their home-produced meat and produce directly to the public.
The development has been supported by a Defra Rural Enterprise Scheme grant which helped pay for the conversion of a redundant farm building. The shop will also stock another product made on the farm - Denis Gwatkin's cider and perry.
The Bishop said he was delighted to support enterprises like the Gwatkins' farm shop.It was a good example of how local initiatives could make a real contribution towards reviving the rural economy.
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