MANY of the youngsters who left rural Worcestershire in search of work and a career are returning to take advantage of a growing demand for traditional cooking and locally produced foods.

Worcestershire Farmers' Markets Group's co-ordinator Janet Yates says the group has experienced an influx of new blood.

"The interesting thing about our new members is that they often come from farming families but left their rural communities to pursue a career elsewhere," she said.

"They have a huge amount of drive and vision and often a great deal of business experience to draw upon."

One such couple is Will and Meg Edmonds, who turned their backs on city life and successful careers to take over the farm Will's father had worked all his life.

Four years on, their hard graft and boundless energy is paying off. They have successfully overseen the transition of Upperwick Farm, at Rushwick, to organic status and are now enjoying success with their farm shop, Roots at Rushwick.

From here, they sell their own organic beef and lamb, along with fruit and vegetables, as well as produce from 40 other farmers and food producers.

Meg believes that it is the experience they brought with them from their city jobs which has enabled them to cope with taking over the farm and setting up their shop.

"Without a doubt it has made a big difference," she said.

"But I think you have to be a certain type of person to do what we have done. Setting up a farm shop would not be everyone's cup of tea. It's a 12-hours-a-day job and even when you're not at work, you're thinking about it."

Another new member to the group is Andrew Keysell who returned to his farming roots last year, after 12 years in the wholesale meat trade, to start up his own business Rochford Country Meats.

He had already persuaded his parents Jim and Angela Keysell to market their own meat, Rochford Beef and Lamb, which they have been selling successfully for the last 18 months.

"I had been on to them to market their own beef and lamb for a while because I could see that they had an excellent product and could sell direct to the public through farmers' markets. Seeing their success spurred me on."

The two businesses, Rochford Country Meats and Rochford Beef and Lamb, now run side by side but independently near Tenbury Wells.

Mrs Yates said: "It's no secret that farming has been a slow decline for decades.

"Farmers have needed to diversify to survive. Many of our members are farmers and producers who have done this and the farmers' markets are often a vital factor.

"The markets have enabled them to gauge public reaction to what they are doing and adapt and change so they can deliver what the customer wants."

One farming family which did just this are the Hollingsheads who create some of the finest traditional pies in the region sold under the name of 19 Gale Farm House Foods.

19 Gales started as a sideline to bring in a few extra pounds but has enabled the family to keep their farm in Atherstone, Warwickshire.

Farmer's wife Janet Hollingshead has made the business a family affair.

Helped by farmer husband Derek, their son Nelson, daughter-in-law Kay and daughter Diane, their pies are now sold as far away as Nottingham, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.

Kay, who is an ex-banker, said: "We have an arable farm but it became increasingly obvious that we would have to do something extra if we were to stay in farming.

"We had been selling to the supermarkets but they don't stock much English veg these days and they have the attitude that you need them more than they need you.

"They'll cancel an order and think nothing of it.

"Anyone who wants English fruit and veg today is better off visiting a farmers' market.

"That's how we began by selling vegetables and then we started making a few pies to supplement this income.

"Soon, we found the pies were outselling the veg so we turned it all over to pie-making."

Only goods produced locally are sold at farmers' markets and the group recently received official endorsement from the National Association of Farmers' Markets, which means all the group's markets along with its literature can now display the NAFM logo.

Mrs Yates said: "Our markets have been run to the association's strict guidelines since we set up nearly four years ago, but this latest endorsement is very important to us.

"It tells our shoppers that when they visit our farmers' market they can be assured that the goods on sale are locally produced.

"Many of our customers tell us that the reason they buy their goods from the farmers' market is because of the quality and the fact they are produced locally, so we are pleased to be able to display the NAFM logo.

"The emphasis of our goods is on quality and freshness.

"Producers must be local within a radius of 30 miles of the markets or 50 for specialist produce - most fall well within this area.

"Producers must sell only their own produce. Customers will meet the producer, a member of their family or an employee who will be able to tell then about their produce."

These rules have been established to ensure that the produce is local and therefore truly fresh.

Some supermarket vegetables may well have travelled an average of 200 miles before you buy them.

For more information on farmers' markets phone 01905 795937 or visit www. worcestershirefarmers markets.net