FOR more than half a century, a farmer has looked out of his windows over rolling fields full of sheep and cows.

But the scene at Farnless Farm, in Bishop Middleham, County Durham, now has some exotic additions.

Farmer Stuart Anderson and his wife, Daphne, have introduced four new breeds to their 200 acres.

Where once 100 sheep and 60 friesian cattle roamed, there are 30 deer, four elk, four bison and five ostrich-like rhea.

The couple hope that as well as breeding the animals for meat, they will attract people to a visitor centre they plan to open this summer.

Mrs Anderson said: "We find people who walk on footpaths across the land enjoy watching farmlife and hope these will be added interest."

The main attraction is likely to be the bison, originally from the US plains, which are 18 months old and already weigh threequarters of a tonne.

Mr Anderson has been on the farm since 1954 when his father, Jack, took on the tenancy for him and two of his three sons to run.

They operated a mix of farming, including arable and livestock, and Mr and Mrs Anderson went on to operate mainly as a diary farm for 30 years. But after they fell on tough times, including the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001, they gave up the majority of their herd in 2002.

Inspired by son-in-law Simon Pelly, who told them about a US friend's livestock, they decided to diversify with rare stock.

Mr Anderson said: "Many farmers need to diversify these days, so we started this to produce meat with low cholesterol."

Mrs Anderson said: "We are enjoying looking after them. It is wonderful to see our own stock back on the farm.

"They settled in really quickly and easily and have real personalities."

Next weekend, the farm will take part in a national initiative called Open Farm Sunday to raise awareness about rural issues. It will be open from 10am to 4pm.

Mr Anderson hopes that by opening the farm to the public, people will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of rural life.

The couple are no strangers to visitors on their land.

In 2002, thousands of twitchers flocked to the area to see the first pair of bee eater birds to nest in the UK for almost 50 years.