THE Anglican Church in West Devon is using the Harvest Festival as a springboard to encourage people to buy local produce.

The church is aiming to help combat the countryside crisis by promoting buying directly from producers, farmers' markets, farm shops or through 'box' schemes.

The Rev David Ursell, a Dolton farmer and rural convener for the Exeter Diocese, said: 'Food is fresher and tastes better when we buy it in this way and we know exactly where it is coming from.

'If every one of the 35,000 people on church electoral rolls in Devon could make a conscious decision to buy locally we could make a tremendous impact on our rural economy.'

Mr Ursell said that Christianity was about justice 'but farmers are not getting justice at the moment. By cutting out the middleman we may help them to get a bigger share of the sales value'.

In West Devon there are three companies offering an organic box scheme:— Pete Mayston in Bere Alston 01822 840297, Holsworthy Organics 01288 381216 and the Little Ash Eco Farm in Okehampton on 01647 231394.

There are farmers' markets in Holsworthy the third Friday of each month and Okehampton the third Saturday and plans are afoot for another to take place in Tavistock.