A CHANCE for farmers to discuss going organic is available at Wilsley House, Holme Lacy College, next Wednesday.

A presentation and discussion with Gerard Dinnage, adviser for the Defra Organic Conversion Information Service, will deal with the expanding market, standards, conversion grants and how to go about conversion.

The organic market has been growing steadily for many years but the last year saw an unprecedented expansion with significant under-supply of milk, beef, pigs, cereals and vegetables, resulting in imports of these foods.

Although driven by the supermarkets, the organic market has in fact seen its greatest development in the last year in farm shops, farmers' markets, own food processing and direct selling.

But organic farming is no panacea, requiring changes to the farming systems, lower stocking rates and, often, new marketing skills.

At the 170-hectare Holme Lacy College farm, organic conversion of the pedigree Herefords, Lleyn sheep, cereals and potatoes has been a great success.

Building on that experience, the college will be hosting an event for the Herefordshire region Organic Producers' Group at 7pm. For more details, call Cathy Meredith on 01432 870316.