FARMER George Heathcote really knows his onions - and his sorrel, squash and curly kale too.

The organic farm he runs near Lymington has just been judged the best of its kind in the country by experts from the Soil Association.

Warborne Farm at Portmore is this year's top mixed producer in the Organic Food Awards 2002, beating more than 250 other "green" farms both large and small all over Britain.

The accolade is a great boost for the family-run farm, where George's father and mother Michael and Victoria are among the 12-strong workforce and even toddler Vita can tell a marrow from a pumpkin.

The Heathcotes have a long tradition of organic farming - in 1949 George's grandfather was one of the earliest members of the embryo Soil Association.

"Of course farming organic vegetables and meat was not a practical business option in those days," said George.

"When I took over the farm in 1990 it was still run on orthodox lines. But I wasn't happy producing food like a factory."

Warborne Farm became organic in 1996, and now grows more than 300 vegetable varieties - from the common or garden to the exotic - and its box scheme supplies nearly 400 Lymington households with their meat and greens.

And with advice from local botanist Simon Frayne the Heathcotes are now branching out into organic fruit production, with peaches, giant blackberries and even kiwi fruit on the menu for 2003.

"It's funny. We were disappointed at first when we learned we had come second - again - in the Box Scheme of the Year. But then the fax arrived saying we'd won best mixed producer. That's the big one," said George.

The Organic Food Awards 2002 will be presented next month at London's Dorchester Hotel.