LAND owners and businesses in the Wyre Forest area are being asked to lend their help to a scheme that aims to support local food producers and boost the rural economy.

The Grow With Wyre Landscape Partnership Project aims to help small food producers in the area thrive by launching a local food hub.

Food hubs are a form of co-operative where local producers can join together to help market their goods.

Grow With Wyre is running 18 separate projects to help restore the landscape of the Wyre Forest, celebrate its working history and help rejuvenate the local land-based economy.

One of the projects, Selling the Wyre, aims to help local producers develop sustainable enterprises.

Peter Miller, director of the Bewdley Development Trust, a partner organisation within the Grow With Wyre Partnership Project, said: “We think a local food hub would be a fantastic enterprise that could support around 15 local producers in the Wyre Forest area.

“The food hub would help reduce transportation costs for the producers by providing a place where they could all drop off their goods. These would then be collectively transported to their customers.”

Local producers that could benefit from a food hub include fruit growers and farmers.

John Iles, of Uncllys Farm, near Bewdley, who produces a range of goods such as beef, lamb and sausages as well as apple juice and charcoal, said: “For many producers like me the main thing we are good at is producing high quality goods.

“What we are not so good at is selling stuff. A food hub would be a great tool to help market our produce.

“A food hub could act as an agent for us producers and help get local food into the area’s homes, pubs and restaurants.”

Anyone who has premises they think could be used as a food hub in the Wyre Forest area is asked to contact Mr Miller by calling 01299 405516 or by emailing petermiller@bewdley.org.uk.

The Grow With Wyre Landscape Partnership Scheme consists of organisations including Bewdley Development Trust, Worcestershire County Council, Wyre Forest Study Group, Wyre Community Land Trust and Wyre Forest District Council.

For more information about Grow With Wyre projects visit growwithwyre.org