A SCHEME to help businesses cultivate the fat of the land is being developed under the shadow of Wittenham Clumps.

The Earth Trust, formerly the Northmoor Trust, launched its “community food enterprise” initiative, Farm Step, this week to help people looking to set up a small-scale farming business.

The charity says it hopes to encourage those people who are put off by high land prices and lack of skills.

The Earth Trust, in Little Wittenham, says it offers “land and very favourable tenancy agreement terms, as well as the chance to work alongside a community of other like-minded green businesses.”

Jayne Manley, the trust’s chief executive, said: “Food is of interest to everyone of every generation all around the world.

“It is a common currency for our culture and traditions.

“Our food and the security of our food – how it is grown and where it comes from – are as important as ever.”

The scheme was officially launched on Saturday with land being prepared for use by Cultivate, a not-for-profit organic-food co-operative which aims to get people in Oxfordshire eating locally grown produce.

Visitors got a guided tour, planted beans and helped to prepare the soil.

Cultivate, run by a team including four Oxford University graduates, will use the land to grow vegetables for sale in its mobile greengrocery the VegVan.

Cultivate is the sixth organisation to take up land as part of Farm Step.

Dan Betterton, from the co-operative, said: “We’re really excited about showing our members where we’ll be farming. It will be great to get digging after all these months of planning.”

For information on Farm Step visit earthtrust.org or Cultivate visit cultivateoxford.org