Safeguarding the bigger picture

The National Trust, of course, regrets the loss of High Yewdale as a working farm but our aim must be to safeguard the bigger picture; to secure a long-term future for Lakeland agriculture and the Herdwick breed, as well as the landscape, character and culture that these have created.

Most hill farms will see a significant reduction of Government support in the coming years. This is a fact of life. The subsidy system that has become an essential part of farm economics for the livestock sectors has been replaced by an area-based payment that will see much lower subsidy payments to many hill farms, with some likely to see these payments halved, or worse, by 2012.

Change is necessary if hill farming is to have a viable future and The National Trust would be wrong not to respond to that.

We are not: l selling the farm (or any others, Hill Top and Yew Tree Farm included!)

l losing one inch of farmland or ceasing to farm the land.

l splitting, losing, relocating or disposing' of any of the hefted Herdwick flock; they will be managed on their traditional heft by a Coniston farmer, who is an experienced hill shepherd, and his son.

l evicting or forcing the tenant out of the farm he is retiring.

We are however: l Committed to farming: we employ two Farm and Countryside Advisors, a Herdwick Officer, Rural Surveyors, Property Managers, footpath workers, builders and estate teams, all of whom have a huge range and depth of experience and are hard-working, caring, professional men and women. Some have let or owned farms themselves; many have worked on them and all are deeply passionate about the Lake District.

l Committed to helping our farmers to make a living: our farm tenants pay rents that are less than the open market to reflect the sensitive management which the Trust encourages; our Whole Farm Plan project works with each farmer individually, putting together a plan for the future of their particular farm with a clear and agreed way forward.

l Working to a future for farming: I cite many of our innovative projects, working with partners, all of which have been highlighted in your newspaper: Enjoy the Farm; Lakeland Herdwick Direct; other Herdwick meat and wool initiatives, including working with Goodacres Carpets, and world-wide marketing. We plan and assist with appropriate diversification schemes on many farms so that B&Bs, farm shops or other enterprises can contribute towards a healthy living for farming families. We provide training and access, invest in infrastructure and seek to ensure that the environment is protected. These are not stand alone' initiatives; rather, they form part of The National Trust's long-term plan encompassing our belief and passion about creating a living future here for people.

l Respecting Beatrix Potter: Her Will actually reads: let and manage the same, as far as is possible, on the same lines as previously let' those words are important; Beatrix Potter herself amalgamated farms, such as Hill Top and Courier, in Sawrey and, as has been said before, was a forward-thinking business woman who would have understood our position.

l We do acknowledge the idea of having a farm as a research' or demonstration farm as you described, and it is something we shall be looking into in the longer term. For this particular farm, however, this would not have been a viable option.

In conclusion, we have looked long and hard at the future of High Yewdale Farm, in the bigger picture of fell farming in the Lake District.

As responsible land managers, I'm sure your readers and our members would much rather we were pragmatic, sensible and honest, rather than burying our heads in the sand and hoping that things would go back to how they were'.

Change is already happening and the Trust is working hard with our partners to shape a positive future which includes a healthy, working farming community, providing a living for families, while protecting the heritage and history that makes the Lake District such a special place.

John Darlington Area Manager Lake District