THE National Trust has been awarded a £500,000 Government grant to continue its drive to persuade more people to buy and eat more locally-produced, in-season food.

The trust, which has already offered to provide land for thousands of allotment plots which are in short supply throughout the UK, will receive the cash from the Greener Living Fund, a project organised by the environment department Defra to help non-government bodies to adopt “greener” policies.

The “buy local; eat local” campaign has been growing steadily for the past five years or so and has particular relevance in rural areas: it allows local shops, pubs and restaurants to buy their supplies from local farmers and grower, helping businesses to survive which otherwise might go under.

The National Trust grant was part of £6 million warded yesterday by Defra secretary Hilary Benn.