The Darlington & Stockton Times has launched the Great North Country Fare campaign to help the rural economy of North Yorkshire and the North-East recover from the devastating impact of foot-and-mouth disease.

Over the next year, the D&S will promote businesses producing and selling locally-produced food.

Already, the region has many first class producers of meat, cheese, beer and the campaign will feature their success and also demonstrate how others, particularly farmers, may be able to emulate them.

The paper’s two major partners in the campaign are Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and Humberside, and The Countryside Agency, which will help support the campaign and have already pledged substantial amounts of sponsorship money.

Events planned include: