Internet farm shop chosen by Microsoft

By [enewtonsyms]

It has helped a community of East Yorkshire rural businesses reach an audience of millions.

The Internet Farm Shop is a web-based network set up to showcase farmhouse food and drink producers in the region.

Now the business has been honoured by software giant Microsoft by being chosen as one of only five in the UK for a special video project.

The Driffield business has been filmed for the Do What You Love series for the Microsoft Small Business Centre website.

Marketing expert Ann Brown, of Kirkburn, near Driffield started the business to help farmers who do not have the time or computer skills to create their own website.

She said: "We were absolutely thrilled to take part in this project and honoured to have been chosen by Microsoft from the many entries they received.

"The Do What You Love series is also a fantastic opportunity for us to spread the word about our business and those who use it."

Microsoft's initiative uses real-life scenarios to show small businesses how they can use the Internet to manage and develop their companies to make them more competitive and efficient.

Mrs Brown hopes that she will now be able to help rural food producers from all over the UK to promote their products through the Internet Farm Shop.

Businesses already featured include farmers James and Tiffy (corr) Hopper, owners of Kelleythorpe Farm Shop in Driffield.

Mrs Hopper said: "We think it is a great idea to promote our business to a much wider audience.

"It is a good way of marketing the food that we stock in the shop, including Aberdeen Angus beef reared on our own farm.

"Customers look at the website to see what we offer and then come to shop to buy the products."

A Microsoft spokesman said they were impressed with the Internet Farm Shop.