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Folkestone and Hythe Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate Damian Collins is writing in the Gazette while Michael Howard is on holiday.

Damian and daughter Claudia,on Dymchurch Sands

Farming and local food production have always been an important part of the economy of our community.

They provide jobs, good quality food and are responsible for the management of the countryside we all enjoy. Local food is also good the environment as it has a much shorter journey from field to fork.

The growing number of farmers markets suggests that people are more and more interested in buying local food, but there is more that could be done to ensure that larger institutions are supporting independent producers – particularly in London , always an important market for Kent food.

It would be great, for example, if the competitors in the Olympic village for the 2012 games in London , could go to work on a Kent egg.

Last Thursday I organised a meeting with James Cleverly, who is the member of the Greater London Assembly for Bexley and Bromley, and on the board of London Development Agency.

James will be advising Boris Johnson on a strategy to supply more fresh seasonal food into the capital. Along with Shepway District Councillor and farmer Alan Clifton-Holt, we met with Doug Wanstall at Bank Farm, Aldington, to discuss how the Mayor could introduce new ways to make it easier for Kent food producers to supply London markets and more public bodies like hospitals, schools and local government offices.

We then continued this meeting with Roy Miller of Romney Marsh Viners Ltd, at Brooker Farm, Newchurch. There they were in the middle of their harvest of peas, which are washed and chilled ready to be frozen within 30 minutes of being picked.

On Sunday it was my turn to get my hands dirty when along with my wife Sarah and daughter Claudia, I entered the annual Folkestone sandcastle competition, organised by the artist Shane Record.

With such good weather on the day, over 30 teams entered and Claudia was pleased to come away with a medal, but we could not reach the standards set by the winning team, who had constructed an amazing model of the Egyptian pyramids and Sphinx.

The competition raises money for the local children’s charity, The Church Street Project, which is based in Folkestone and provides counselling and therapy for children across Shepway, many of whom have experienced trauma and conflict.

You can find out more about the Project by visiting Shane’s gallery in the Old High Street or at www.shanerecord.com