AN Upper Wharfedale family of farmers has extended its successful rural office development.

James and Simon Butcher, of Fleets Farm, Rylstone, have converted more redundant buildings to double the available workspace provided at the site.

The brothers have embraced diversification in a number of ways since the early 1990s in order to improve the viability of the 500-acre upland sheep and beef farm to enable it to support two families.

In 1992, they converted the first of their farm buildings into offices for letting out.

Two years later they started round bale silage contracting and in 1998, they developed a direct meat retailing business, supplying local restaurants and providing an internet mail order meat business.

The brothers took over the farm from their father, Craven District Councillor and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority member Stephen Butcher in 1991.

They realised that major alterations were necessary to make the business viable and achieve their objective. They decided to convert a set of redundant buildings directly opposite Fleets House, which were beginning to fall into dilapidation and were becoming a major repair liability.

Demand for the new offices was such that three additional units were converted at Fleets and between the autumn of 1997 and spring 1999 each unit had been let immediately it was completed.

However, with the deepening crisis in farming, especially in the livestock sectors, much of the progress made was negated.

To stem this tide of negativity, the Butcher brothers decided to expand the office development even further and began work in April this year to sympathetically convert a number of stone built farm buildings, as well as some hardstanding agricultural storage facilities.

Five new offices have been provided in total, ranging from 350 square feet up to 1500 square feet and incorporate traditional features as well as full telecommunication facilities.

James Butcher said the new development had already attracted two tenants and interest in the remaining units was high.

He said: "We immediately attracted a number of clients who appreciated the combination of good facilities, excellent communications links and unbeatable Dales scenery out of every window!"

So far current tenants include internet providers, web-site designers, a confectionery business, sports promotion company, environmental engineer and training provider.

The farm diversification project received assistance from Yorkshire Forward's Development Fund and from North Yorkshire County Council's farm diversification initiative.