A WEST Devon village is a step closer to providing residents with its own community market garden, following the thumbs up from Dartmoor National Park.

Chagford Community Agriculture's 'Chagfood' project was granted permission to erect three polytunnels and two sheds on land at Parford, near Easton Cross, when it went before Dartmoor National Park's planning committee earlier this month.

The exciting new food project will be the first scheme in Devon based on local food marketing known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

Chagfood CSA currently has 25 members, who pay an annual subscription fee in return for a share in the harvest.

Members will receive a weekly vegetable box and also have the opportunity to help work on the project, to educate them on food provenance and help with harvesting.

The scheme also encourages communities to actively support farmers who are producing their food.

Fertilisation of the three-acre field started over the winter last year.

Chagfood will also use its Dartmoor cross Welsh Cob, Samson, who will help plough the field and pull up weeds.

He will be used for light cultivation and to transport vegetable boxes from the site to the village.

The project hopes to be the first horse-powered CSA project in England.

The scheme was born out of increasing local demand for ecologically-produced, seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables by Chagford's residents.

Grower for Chagfood, Chinne Kingsbury, said:

'We've been waiting on getting planning permission and now it's been granted to go ahead we'll be able to go into production straight away.

'The next step is to get the poly tunnels and put them up and get growing.

'We are really excited and it feels like all the things that have been a real barrier to getting a local food initiative off the ground within the National Park have finally been resolved.

'It's a triumph for small community gardens to have the National Park's planning approvals.

'We are really pleased and can't wait to get growing — now the hard work is about to begin!'

Last year the project secured funding for £36,000 from the Big Lottery's Local Food Fund for the proposed development.

The environmentally friendly project will be operated organically, harvesting rainwater and keeping energy use to a minimum.

Local resident Ed Hamer, who is also one of the growers, said: 'It has been a long process.

'The project came together 18 months ago and it's been a further 12 months of funding applications and six months of planning.

'We are very relieved everything has gone through so smoothly and we are just looking forward to getting some seedlings in.

'We have also been very refreshed by the positive attitude towards the project and it's great to have that sort of support within the National Park.'

An official launch of Chagfood will take place tonight (Thursday) when residents can find out more about the project.

The launch will be held at 7.30pm at Endecott House in Chagford.