I SUGGEST the newly-formed farm shops curb their eagerness to charge more for freshness.

I have visited several of these places close to York and find, despite the fact that the fields are often only yards away, I have to pay sometimes twice as much as at a supermarket.

While I really appreciate local products and their freshness, my purse does not and I wonder how they justify the inflated prices when supermarkets can transport produce long distances incurring costs yet still sell these goods cheaper?

Along with the higher cost of produce, I find the charges in the cafs extortionate, with a pot of tea for two costing up to £2.50.

Considering there are two tea bags and a pot of water with a little milk, I cannot justify paying this.

As we traverse the countryside each Sunday, we usually have, perhaps, a bowl of soup and a sandwich for lunch.

The price of soup varies I know, but we tend to use this as a guide to where to eat. Generally we can get a bowl of soup for less than £2.50 but at the last farm shop we visited it was listed at £3.45.

Can they explain this?

It would be a shame for these places to fail and I should like them to thrive. At the moment they are on the crest of the wave, with everyone willing to pay the extra, but if prices continue to rise I shall avoid visiting these shops as I am sure others will too.

To the shop owners may I suggest they take this as a friendly warning and look into their pricing for their own sakes?

Mrs Sylvia Dunn,

Rutland Close,

Copmanthorpe,

York.

Updated: 10:39 Monday, July 04, 2005