FEW families would relish the opportunity of taking on a farm in the current climate with agriculture facing an uncertain future as the Government ponders the recommendations of the Curry report, writes Farming Reporter Justin Hawkins.

But Martin and Arlene Fishwick and their six children are doing just that and taking over the tenancy of the National Trust's Bank Howe organic farm at Silverdale.

Although Martin has been working full-time in farming, Bank Howe will be the first farm he has run for himself.

At least he will not be in unfamiliar surroundings as Bank Howe is little more than a mile from where he grew up on his father's farm in Silverdale.

Nor has the move from their previous home in Warton been too much of an upheaval for the rest of the family.

Arlene, 32, who comes originally from Slyne, already worked at Bleasedale special needs school which is only a few yards from the front door of Bank Howe farm house.

Of the children, the oldest Suzanne, 13, is already at senior school, Kathryn 11, moves this year, but the rest Joanne, nine, Thomas eight, James, seven, and John, six, can stay at Warton Primary School.

In spite of having moved in on April Fool's Day, the family is confident it will fare well at Bank Howe Farm.

"Possibly, people might say, I was mad," admitted Martin who moved with his family from Warton where he was working, "But it is all I have ever wanted to do."

He explained that he saw an advertisement for the tenancy of Bank Howe Farm and applied.

Having worked only on conventional farms in the past, moving into organic is a bit of a challenge.

But, with a mentor from Cumbrian Organics, Martin is confident he can make the transition to farming with conservation in mind.

"Most farming has to be intensive, but on a farm, particularly like this where conservation is a top priority, it is important to preserve it.

Indeed, Bank Howe Farm could well be exactly what the Government means when it emphasises the importance of the environment and the organic sector.

Not only is it organic, but Bank Howe farm is also within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), within an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and under Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS).

For the time being the 320 acres of Bank Howe will not keep Martin at it full-time and he will continue to contract for other farm businesses.

But he has already started building up the stock on the farm.

As well as continuing with Red Devon cattle left by former tenant Bill Grayson, Martin is in the process of buying organic store cattle.

So far he has taken possession of four Galloway cattle specifically for grazing on land at Arnside Knott which is undergoing organic conversion.

He will also keep beef Shorthorns as well as Cheviot sheep and rare-breed Hill Radnors.

The premium on organic produce is usually a large part of the reason why farmers choose to go organic.

Martin admitted there was some danger that, as with organic milk - where supply is now so great that millions of litres a year goes into conventional supply without a premium - the balance between supply and demand and organic meat premiums could alter.

"When there was a very small supply of organic meat, people bought it just because it was organic," he said, "Now there is more we have to produce what the customers want.

Provided we have the quality we can still cope with it because we will still be making that bit of premium.

" So the family is planning to sell the organic meat through local outlets, perhaps at Aireys abattoir and butchers at Ayside, and use the farm's impeccable conservation credentials as a marketing tool."

The farm will also be used to help educate school children and conservation groups.

"The general public seems to have lost the direct link with farming, said Martin, "There are far fewer people working in agriculture these days.

Twenty or 25 years ago everybody had a close relative in the industry, but not any more.

I am quite happy for people to come here to be educated

about farming and to help restore that link."

Martin is under no illusions that farming at Bank Howe will not make him a millionaire, but he does think it will be worth it "You have to be willing to put in the hours and accept that part of the return for those hours is not financial.

From the business side of things maybe I would have been better off carrying on working full-time farming for someone else, but there are other rewards in life."