A NEW guide to locally produced food and crafts in the North York Moors and Howardian Hills has been launched at a York festival.

The pocket sized guide contains details of 150 local producers supplying everything from cheese and meats, wines, arts and crafts to speciality foods and furniture.

Launched at York Festival of Food and Drink on Friday of last week, it has been produced by the North York Moors National Park Authority, jointly funded by Yorkshire Forward.

Andy Wilson, chief executive of the national park, said the guide was an important step in promoting local goods and produce. "By sourcing products locally, we reduce food miles and support local producers, helping to keep the countryside diverse and alive," he said.

"The Continent is renowned for its locally distinctive regional products. This is an attempt to celebrate the regional products that define this part of North Yorkshire."

One of the local producers featured is Jennifer Blyth of Boulby Barns Farm, Loftus, and her Alduro Dairy Goats.

Mrs Blyth and husband, David, moved to the smallholding with their two sons 22 years ago and, at that stage, they had only one acre of land.

In 1983, Mrs Blyth surprised the family when she bought a goat and two kids.

"It was a hobby really," she said. "We did not have enough land to have a house cow so I bought the goat and then a few people started asking for milk."

In 1988, she decided to create a dairy in the existing stone buildings and took advice from the necessary authorities.

The Blyths bought a five-acre field next to the house, then increased their holding to eight acres. Goat numbers have also grown and today Mrs Blyth has 22 milkers, consisting of pure Saanen and British Saanen - all of which are registered with the British Goat Society - and six young yearling followers and four young male kids.

The goats are milked twice a day, going inside in the afternoon and being milked in the early evening and morning, by machine and four at a time, in a specially built parlour. In a full lactation, each gives about six pints a day.

Because of the seasonality of kidding, half the herd at a time is in kid during the winter with kidding normally finished in April.

Today the herd is the centre of a healthy milk, cheese and yoghurt business, all products being made on the farm.

"It is surprising the number of people who come to me because of allergies or through intolerances to cow's milk," said Mrs Blyth. "A lot of chefs are also using goat's cheese and produce in menus."

Mrs Blyth learnt how to make hard and soft cheese on a training course run by the old Agricultural Training Board. Today, she makes mainly soft cheeses including plain, plain with chives, and a half-plain and half-garlic cheese, all of which are in distinctive beeswax covers which she makes herself.

The yoghurts are natural or vanilla, the latter made using real vanilla pods.

Apart from callers to the farm, she supplies local shops such as Saltburn Health Foods and Real Meals of Guisborough, along with Pinchinthorpe Farmers' Market, the White House and Griffin restaurant in Whitby and The Fits guest house in Runswick Bay.

Everything is properly labelled and, although a relatively small operation, the business has to meet the same regulations and health and hygiene standards as much larger businesses. Inspections are regular.

Mrs Blyth, who also has a flock of pedigree Oxford Down sheep, says she has reached just the right size for the amount of land available.

The holding stands high above the village of Boulby, with magnificent views up and down the coastline. "We can see as far as Sunderland on a very clear day and Hartlepool is always visible." she said.

The farm has been hit by the unusually hot summer, with very little re-growth of grass after the first cut of silage was taken in May. As a result, they have been feeding the stock with hay and what was left of last year's silage since July.

Alduro dairy goats is open from 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and can be contacted on 01287 641306.

Copies of the local produce guide are available from the North York Moors National Park Authority in Bondgate, Helmsley, and can be viewed on www.moors.uk.net.