A FARMER'S wife has won a £20,000 grant to support her business.

Christine Thompson runs Reagarth Farm Administration Services from her family's tenanted farm at Helmsley.

The business provides farm secretarial services, including book-keeping and VAT, livestock and cropping records.

Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme has awarded the grant to help the business expand.

The cash will cover 45 per cent of the cost of building a log cabin to provide a training room and office/meeting facilities.

The training room will take up to 20 people and enable Mrs Thompson to offer instruction in Internet skills and the software packages to farmers.

She said: "The role of the farm secretary just used to be to look after the VAT returns. Now we handle every piece of paper that comes through the office.

"There is a lot more information, such as cattle movements and census figures, which Defra and the Rural Payments Agency are wanting us to provide online.

"As a result, we're getting more requests to help farmers who don't necessarily have the skills or the time to do this..

"We are registered to act as farmers' agents for various schemes in order to provide these details as part of our service."

Mrs Thompson has already taken on a part-time employee as a result of the growing demand for Reagarth's services.

She also uses a network of freelances.

Sarah Broadwith, a Defra Rural Development Service adviser in Yorkshire and the Humber, said "The new log cabin will enable the business to expand and assist at least 40 extra farm businesses in the area.

"There will also be some job creation for local people linked to farming, as the business expands."

Anyone interested in using the services of Reagarth Farm Administration Services is welcome to visit during an open day on Friday.