THERE has to be more to agriculture than growing food at lowest cost for global markets. Conservation of the landscape and wildlife, the development of alternative energy sources and the maintenance of a clean water supply should count on the credit side of farming's balance sheet.

Fortunately, there are growing numbers of forward-looking farmers who are becoming more focused on the care of the countryside, and organisations such as LEAF are helping them through a nationwide network of demonstrations farms, some of which have recently opened up in the West Midlands.

Latest of more than 40 British farms to open their gates to a broad range of visitors is High Meadow Farm, a former dairy holding, which nestles in the Shropshire hills at Ashford Carbonel, near Ludlow.

Visitors to the showcase farm, a 300-acre holding, predominantly arable with a small number of livestock, can see how production and conservation are working in harmony. They can explore the footpaths, discover new areas of woodland, see the hedges being restored and look out for woodpeckers, kingfishers, buzzards and woodcocks which are regular visitors to the farm.

integrated

LEAF, an eleven-year organisation which stands for Linking Environment and Farming, encourages farmers to adopt integrated farm management and to promote its benefits to consumers. From the thousands of visitors LEAF receives to its demonstration farms every year it is clear that public interest in food production is at an all-time high and the message LEAF has been disseminating is gaining widening recognition.

Food and farming minister Lord Whitty, who opened High Meadow as a demonstration farm, said LEAF had an important role in reconnecting con-sumers with what they ate and how it was produced, as well as providing farmers with examples of best practice.

The work of LEAF was in line with the recommendations in the recent Curry Commission report on the future of farming, he said.

"It is better for farmers to actually see the work being done on these farms rather than the Government issue loads of information and propaganda, especially after all the tribulations of the past year," said Lord Whitty.

High Meadow farmer Nick Tilt is no stranger to environmental care. The 29-year-old former student at Harpers Adams worked for seven years with organic and conventional farming methods with the Co-op's Farmcare subsidiary and during that time was involved with LEAF. He is now employed as commodities manager with 7Y Rural Service Network at Leominster.

"The idea of the demonstration farm is to give people the opportunity to make up their own minds about agriculture and the way food is produced. Conservation and viable farming do go hand in hand."

Mr Tilt said that on becoming a demonstration farm, an audit of the whole farming practice had to be undertaken. Although it involved a good deal of extra work, there was no financial assistance.

Said Mr Tilt: "It is purely voluntary but as farmers we want to give something back to agriculture and country life, not only to ensure this farm's long-term viability but to maintain and improve the wildlife, the flora and fauna. It is the way ahead and so we will put ourselves out.

"The Government wants it this way and a lot of farmers are already doing a great deal for the countryside. This fact has to be got over to the general public," he said.

wildlife is thriving

"We are caring for the environment with sound, practical farming and the wildlife is thriving."

Mr Tilt said the work on the farm included leaving corn stubble where possible until the spring which allowed birds to feed during the winter. A crop rotational system was in place and when chemicals were not used to control weeds, harrows were brought into use.

"We practise the best of organic and conventional farming, trying to combine the two," he said.

Meadow Farm will cater for 10 to 24 tours each year for five years for people of all walks of life.

LEAF farmers farm around 15 per cent of the cropped land in the UK. There are now 43 demonstration farms and those in the area are Man of Ross, Ross-on-Wye, and Great Wollaston North Shropshire. The organisation is based at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh, telephone 02476413911.