At the Oxford Farming Conference both main political parties put "the writing on the wall" when they agreed that after 2012 they would both wish to see the direct subsidisation of food production ceased, leaving only environmental subsidisation paid to farms. This is a situation that will hit hard at the heart of most grassland farms in the North of England, the majority of which are family run and typical of the farms from which many of Kirkley Hall's students and RMIF's members come. In addition, the Kirkley Hall Campus Farms cover a variety of land types, all grass, all managed on conventional systems that are the most likely to suffer financially under these new arrangements.

Added to this is that the UK is now below 70% self sufficiency for home produced foods which is a dangerous situation in the medium to long term. While the emphasis on environment dominates Government at the present time it is quite likely that we will need to rebuild particularly ruminant farming in the future and therefore future generations must be well equipped to deal with such an event.

It is therefore vital that as two key industry organisations Northumberland College at Kirkley Hall and the RMIF help the farming population face current challenges with practical help towards profitable farming. The competition is a unique proposal to this end. We are offering farmers and students a remarkable opportunity to try out their ideas for profitable farming, on a live college farm, before bringing the ideas home to reality on their own. Through partnership with the college farms there is the opportunity to share the findings with the whole of the region and beyond, and the use of all available scientific tools and recording systems to track progress. This competition brings together the knowledge and eagerness of the farming population with the enthusiasm and fresh approach of students and young farmers to forge a future which is profitable and enjoyable for all.

The competition final is timed to coincide with the all important Food and Farming Year, wherein from 1st September 2007 a programme of activities designed to bring farming into schools and children onto farms will be activated by DEFRA