The organisation responsible for providing school meals across North Yorkshire has demonstrated once again its commitment to the county's food producers ... by deciding to buy every one of the 23,000 eggs it uses each year from inside North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire County Caterers has signed agreements with two farms in the Pickering area for the annual supply of its eggs. Every egg used in the preparation of school meals is now free-range, and laid in North Yorkshire.

Elizabeth Hall, who has been a kitchen assistant at Thornton Dale primary school for nearly 11 years, started up a new enterprise with her farmer husband Andrew keeping free range hens in a bid to diversify on their farm at Wilton near Pickering. They, along with a another farm in nearby Stape run by J T & G Smith, now produce all the eggs consumed in the county's schools.

Andrew has farmed at Wilton for nearly 30 years and felt he had to branch out to make the farm viable. So he decided to introduce free range hens as well as sheep and cattle and he and Elizabeth have also set up a small caravan park.

The hens are proving a great success. Pretty, brown Bovan Goldlines, they have the freedom of the farm, laying their eggs in nesting boxes and producing 5,500 every day.

Elizabeth said: "It's good to see where our eggs end up and when I work in school I can see the end product every day which is very satisfying." Andrew added: "The free range eggs business is going better than we ever expected and all the people who come here on holiday love to see the hens wandering about."

County Councillor Jim Clark, North Yorkshire's Executive Member for Schools, said: "The county council is proud to support of North Yorkshire's farming community. Not only does this result in a reduction in food miles and gives greater support for high standards in animal welfare but it also leads to the highest standards in the quality of food served to our school children."