A FARMER who spent hours helping flood-hit colleagues on the Levels last winter is branching out in a bid to preserve his own family business.

Mark Pope’s family has farmed at Staple Farm, Staple Fitzpaine, for 40 years, and last winter he was heavily involved in the efforts to help flooded farmers, delivering animal feed and evacuating 1,000 cattle, 1,000 sheep and numerous horses from their inundated fields.

He and his wife Julie are arable farmers and several years ago as part of their diversification to keep the farm going they moved into the Christmas tree business.

And this year for the first time they are offering families the chance to walk their plantations to choose their Christmas tree while it is still growing.

Mark, an NFU delegate for Somerset County, said: “We think it will be a great fun experience for all the family.

“The idea is that customers stroll around the plantation of Christmas trees that are ready for harvest and select a tree by tying on a tag, then, they simply state which date they would wish to collect.

“On the day of collection, just a few hours before the customer’s arrival, the tree is cut, guaranteeing maximum freshness and minimum needle-drop.”

Julie said: “Lots of people come back year after year for their trees and last winter we even had a young couple, newly-married, who used to come and select trees with their parents.”

The Select Your Own Tree day is on Sunday, November 30 from 10am-3pm when mince pies and hot drinks will be available and there will also be a selection of cut trees ready to take away.