A green-thinking Easington farming family who diversified into a recycling business have expanded with the help of Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES).

The Hutchinsons, whose family have been farming since the 1500s, launched a composting business at their County Durham farm in 2003, and are accepting 'green waste' from several local councils - including waste collected through doorstep schemes.

The family have been farming on 400 acre Junction House Farm, near Easington, since the 1930s and had been looking to diversify from their mainly arable business to safeguard their future.

Stuart Hutchinson, who runs the business with his parents John and Jean, explained:

"We launched the business in 2003, taking green waste from Sunderland and Gateshead council's civic amenity site. Interest has grown gradually, with more councils and landscape gardeners sending us their green waste such as tree and hedge clippings, grass cuttings and domestic garden waste. We knew there was scope for the business to grow and develop as councils have recycling targets they have to meet, which we could help them achieve.

"But we needed to upgrade our facilities and invest in some new equipment, which is where the Rural Enterprise Scheme has helped. It provided us with a grant towards the costs of concreting the collection area, installing a leachate drainage system and to buy a spreader.

"Now we've also got an agreement with a local housing trust and are in negotiations with other councils to take their waste, which is shredded before being piled up in open-air windrows. "The final product is an 'organic' compost, which we spread on our land to help improve the soil. The business is building up gradually and the RES grant really helped give it the kick-start we needed to cater for more clients."

Ken Haynes, an adviser at Defra's Rural Development Service in the North East, said:

"More and more farmers are reaping the rewards of diversifying in a whole host of new businesses and last year the Rural Enterprise Scheme helped support around 70 projects across the region with grants totalling more than £1.8 million awarded.

"By launching their on-farm composting scheme, the Hutchinson's have not only developed a viable new business to sustain their farm but are also aiding environment-friendly practices by recycling this waste as compost on their land."