A HARVARD professor and the Simmental tourist officer from Switzerland visited Tavistock this week to meet members of the Dartmoor Farmers' Association.

Prof George Hudson and Hans Forrer met one of the directors of Dartmoor Farmers' Ltd Andy Bradford, the Duchy of Cornwall tenant at Brimpts Farm in Dartmeet, on Tuesday at Palmers Butchers on Duke Street.

The farmers' association was started two years ago by like-minded farmers who wanted to turn the produce from Dartmoor into a brand that could be recognised and sought, far and wide.

Andy said the idea for farmers to work together came after he went to Switzerland five years ago and met Hans.

Andy said he saw there was a 'synergy' between the tourism trade and farming — local tourist sectors supported the farmers' produce in recognition for the role farmers played in the area.

Prof Hudson has been coming to Dartmoor since 1974 as he takes students from the university all over the world to show then different cultures.

He said Dartmoor was his favourite place to visit and he enjoys staying at Brimpts Farm — and it was Prof Hudson who introduced Andy to Hans.

Farmers from Switzerland then came to Dartmoor and showed local farmers what they could do to promote their Dartmoor brand — and so an association was formed to champion the sale of the moor's quality beef and lamb.

Now, the association is working with a select few butchers, including Palmers of Tavistock and Bidders in Yelverton, to advertise what the farmers from Dartmoor are undertaking.

Andy said: 'Palmers' butchers attend our meetings and we have a good working relationship with them. They are our shop window to the public for Dartmoor Farmers and it helps to get our names out there. This is all part of the process to get from field to plate.'

The DFA is supported by the Duchy of Cornwall and funding through Devon Renaissance. Other key partners include Food and Drink Devon, Taste of the West, EBLEX, the Dartmoor Partnership and the Dartmoor National Park Authority .

For more information visit the association's website http://www.dartmoorfarmers.co.uk">www.dartmoorfarmers.co.uk