NEARLY £50k has been raised in support of a Newton Abbot farm hit by avian-flu as it navigates new restricted zones on its land.

The support for Orchard Organic Farm has seen £47,105 raised for the Stokeinteignhead farm as of Thursday, March 6.

This comes as owners Jerry and Emma Saunders navigate the ‘restricted’ and ‘clean’ zones of their farm.

The couple are having ongoing negotiations with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on what is and what is not a restricted zone.

It’s a delicate balancing act between disease risk whilst still allowing us operate the farm and once in place will remain for 12 months, or sooner, if we can satisfy the stringent clean-up criteria’ Emma said in an update to the GoFundMe page.

The majority of Jerry and Emma’s farm is now a restricted zone, with access being strictly limited for the next 12 months.

The farm’s orchard, camping area and ‘Free Rangers’ site are designated as clean zones.

Moving between the zones is only permissible with permission from Defra and adherence to strict biosecurity measures.

‘It is tedious, but necessary to fulfil the criteria of having restrictions set by DEFRA lifted’ Emma went on to say.

‘Being a small organic farm complicates things somewhat.

‘We are a patchwork of various activities and enterprises: from our apple orchards to our hens, from our sheep to our goats, from our Hen's Dens to Free Rangers’ she added.

Typically dealing with larger farms, the zoning of Orchard Organic Farm has been somewhat difficult as it is much smaller.

‘Defra are used to working with larger farms where they can easily draw a big box around a restricted zone, nice and simply, allowing the farmer to work around it’ Emma said.

‘This has not been the case for us and Jerry is currently engaged in delicate negotiations to try and come up with a workable solution’ Emma added.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency culled all 5,000 of Orchard Organic Farm’s hens on Friday, February 21, following cases of avian flu being identified on the farm.

To support Orchard Organic Farm, visit the GoFundMe website and enter ‘Orchard Organic Farm’ into the search-box, or click here.