A SPECIAL event for farmers providing tourist accommodation is being held at Meldon Village Hall next week. The Devon Farms Accommodation co-operative, which comprises 138 farm accommodation providers, is holding an open day in an attempt to get people together to talk about the issues surrounding the industry. A spokesman for Devon Farms Accommodation said: ?As the effect of the new single farm payment on current farming patterns slowly sinks in, farms are looking very hard at supplementary forms of income, such as running a B&B or self-catering business. ?To help farmers make the right choice, a plethora of farm tourism experts running a variety of courses has sprung up, no doubt offering valuable advice. ?But there is no substitute to talking to the farmers actually involved in the business, and this is precisely what the Devon Farms open day is all about ? farmers on hand to help farmers.? Members of the co-operative will be available throughout the open day on Wednesday March 9, to talk about marketing, inspection schemes, public relations, training, research, local food and any other aspect of running an accommodation business. Graham Dawe, manager and coach of Plymouth Albion?s promotion-chasing rugby team and a West Devon farmer, will give a short talk, followed by a free buffet comprising home-made food using local produce. There will also be a number of stands exhibiting goods and services relevant to the sector, plus information on the marketing of Devon Farms Accommodation. Everyone, including farmers thinking about, or already involved in farm tourism, is welcome to attend. The open day begins at 11am and finishes at 3pm. More details can be obtained from http://www.devonfarms.co.uk">www.devonfarms.co.uk or call the open day organiser, Lowenna Edwards, on 01822 616435.
