THE NFU has launched a new tenants’ report to show the importance of county council farms and to help stop them being sold off.

It says with the ever-present threat of a sell-off, the County Farms - Working for the West Midlands report should be read by all councillors and other decison- makers.

David Collier, NFU regional director, said he hoped the report showed why county farms should be regarded as “the jewel in the crown of the councils’ property portfolios” and that councillors and other officials would benefit from reading it.

The report includes case studies of how county council farms have helped people in the past and the present to get established in the farming industry and two of them are in Herefordshire.

Mary and Giles McQuiston met at Harper Adams in Shropshire and worked for agricultural businesses while applying for county council farm tenancies.

They were successful in 2003 and today graze 70 cattle and 350 ewes on 65-acre Cokesyeld Farm, Almeley, with another 90 acres rented privately.

The farm is managed under environmental stewardship, they have planted around 1km of new hedgerows and opened to the public on Open Farm Sunday, attracting 100 people.

Across the county, farmer Ken Watkins took the tenancy of Glewstone Court with 49.5 acres, with another 10 acres added later, in 1953.

As well as farming, he started an agricultural contracting business, later to be joined by his son Philip.

When they failed to find a larger tenancy, they bought 160 acres at Gillow Farm at Harewood End in 1980.

They have since increased their own acreage to 350 with another 650 acres under various arrangements, as well as continuing their contracting business.

The NFU report is being sent to local authorities and other organisations.